Kings and Vagabonds
by Darth T-Rex
Summary: One year after TLK 2 and during the wrath of the dry season, Simba and his flourishing pride find themselves at odds with lots of hungry hyenas from the north. New chapter up the lions and hyenas deal with the aftermath of the battle with Mamacala
1. Bliss

Author's notes: Well, here we are, a The Lion King fanfiction. I've tried to write two of these previously but they never really went anywhere and I didn't post them online.

Anyway, this fic is set about one year after The Lion King 2, a movie I recently watched for the first time (and loathed, although TLK 3 was brilliant). It deals with conflict between Simba's Pride of lions and the hyena clan of the Elephant Graveyard. There are lots of characters from the movies in it, as well as lots of original ones and ones made up by my good friend, known as Amaryllis to the online TLK communities and such.

There's also some fanart been posted of this fic so far, some by Amaryllis and some by me. Both me and Amaryllis will be posting artwork of it on her TLKFAA page here: http://fanart. and I have one or two pics already on my page here: http://fanart. without further ado, here we go:

A cool breeze wafted through the long grass of the northern Serengeti, providing some relief for the small group of Thompson's gazelle that grazed in the midday. The sun tinted their auburn fur gold and the ebony horns of the males glinted as they strutted proudly back and forth amongst the females.

The yellow grass and dry soil gave testimony to the coming of the dry season. The gazelles ignored the aridness of their food and grazed in content, looking up now and again to scout for a predator. Their dark eyes were traced with black markings running down the length of their faces, contrasting to the pale white of their underbellies.

They were the only immediate target for the cheetah. He kept himself low to the ground, shifting forward by relying on the litheness of his slender body rather than his long legs. His back was arched to keep his head down and he made no sound as he crept painstakingly slowly towards the gazelles.

His beautiful spotted hide was an effective camouflage against the sharp eyes of his prey, but he knew that one glance in his direction could potentially spell disaster for him. He was fast, faster in fact than anything that walked in all of the lands he knew and could imagine. However his speed came at a price: he wasn't able to sustain it for long, and also he was far less formidable than the other big cats, the lions and the leopards, who roamed these lands.

He needed to get closer. He urged himself on; his heart beating in his breast felt as loud as claps of thunder to him in the silence. Just one glance in his direction and it could all fail…

He took it as seriously as if it was a matter of life and death for him. It wasn't quite that serious, but it wasn't far from the truth. He hadn't eaten for nearly a week, with all of his recent hunts failing. And with each hunt failed the hungrier and weaker he grew, lessening his chances of making a kill next time. It was a rapidly descending spiral of wasted opportunities, foolish mistakes, frustration, hunger and eventually death.

The cheetah was not willing to let it come to that. He intended to make this kill. He threw all of his hunting instincts and tactics into full force. He recognized that this herd was full of healthy adults – there were no weaklings or fawns here, no relatively easy targets. There was going to be a chase here. He recognized that he had some advantages – the gazelles rarely looked in his direction as he was approaching from where they had come from, something they would not expect, and also the wind was blowing in his face – they couldn't smell him.

He also recognized his hunger was making him anxious and could potentially ruin the whole hunt. If he leapt out of hiding a second too early out of eagerness to end the desperate rumblings in his stomach, then he could very easily find himself exhausted, weak and with no prize.

His maddeningly slow advance continued. He was now within twenty meters of the nearest gazelle – an arrogant looking buck who swished his tail back and forth and stamped his hoof once in a while. He was strong, fit and healthy, a difficult catch – but there were no other gazelles as close as him. He was also the only one whose rump was completely facing him, meaning there was little risk of the cheetah being caught out of the corner of the buck's eye.

He crawled an agonizing inch closer. Even as he did the buck's ear twitched and he began to move his head to the left. He was about to look over his left shoulder.

It was now or never. The cheetah was on his feet and hurling himself forward before the gazelle had a chance to look over his shoulder. Immediately one of the herd coughed out a warning and the entire group instantly dashed away, running in the direction of the one who had issued the call. The cheetah admired this – there was no hesitation, no glancing about. As soon as they heard the alarm call they were on the move.

The world blurred for the cheetah as his slender, strong legs powered him forward. All his predatory poise was focused on the buck before him, who was pulling away with nearly equal speed. It could sense the predator was after him alone now. It banked right dramatically – the manoeuvring of the gazelle was superior to that of the cheetah. But the cheetah had positioned himself well and turned in time to keep in pace with the gazelle. He expended his energy in one last effort and to his lasting delight his front paw was in reach of the gazelle's hind legs. He swept out his paw and tapped the gazelle's ankles.

The prey stumbled and fell forward. Instantly the cheetah was on him, clasping his paws on the buck's neck as his jaws reached for the throat of the stunned animal. The cat's sharp canine teeth plunged into its throat and the jaws fastened tight around the neck. There was little struggle from the exhausted gazelle. Soon it was suffocated to death by the piercing pressure of the cheetah's fangs.

Overwhelming relief washed over the cheetah as the last few struggles of resistance ebbed away. At last, he was going to eat! It was indescribable. He needed to eat and eat fast. But he had done it. He had significantly increased his chances of making it through the dry season.

Sweat streamed down his heaving flanks. He was aching from fatigue. Although the time from the chase to kill had been barely a minute, it was an explosion of precious energy. He lay there next to the carcass for a few minutes, panting heavily as he watched the gazelle herd regroup a few hundred meters away.

At last he felt a little energy return to him, enough for him to eat. It was wonderful. He had a good feeling about his chances this dry season. He opened his jaws wide and prepared to feed.

A sneering, coarse voice snarled, "Being a good fiend is like being a photographer…"

Dread pierced the cheetah's heart as he looked behind him.

The voice continued, "You have to wait for the right moment".

Five hyenas were sitting there before the cheetah. They were all grinning sinisterly. One large individual stood in the centre of them, resting on its haunches and sitting with body upright and its front legs crossed across its chest.

It began to chuckle between clenched teeth, apparently very amused with itself. The other hyenas snickered as they stepped forward.

There was no contest. The cheetah was no match for one hyena, let alone five. Without a word or snarl of protest he got to his feet and slinked away, stumbling on his exhausted legs. He took one look back over his shoulder as tears rolled down his face. The hyenas had descended on the carcass and were tearing off massive chunks of meat and bone and were swallowing them whole eagerly, cackling as they sank their bloodied snouts deeper into their meal.

Daytime on Pride Rock was, as Kovu would admit to anyone who asked him, usually pretty boring. The young lion, barely out of adolescence, stretched and yawned lazily and padded down a winding path of bare rock. His dark brown fur and black mane were all too reminiscent of a similarly scarred lion who had once walked the same path, but the innocent look of lazy cheer on his pleasant features were very different.

He strolled down out of the shade of the jutting cliff of Pride Rock until he came to a large plateau of scrub and bare rock. Over a dozen lionesses were lolling around enjoying the warmth of the sun. Some were asleep; others were engaged in idle chatter, some half-heartedly played with a group of mischievous cubs. Some looked up in Kovu's direction as he stepped forward. One in particular smiled sweetly at him.

Kiara, princess of the Pride Lands, rose to her feet and greeted him, rubbing her head up against his neck. He smiled and returned the greeting. Kiara was his mate and future Queen of the Pride Lands. The two of them had met about a year ago when the lions of the Pride Lands had clashed with a tribe of lions known as "the Outlanders". Kovu himself had been an Outlander, but he and his kin had been accepted with open paws into the Pride of King Simba, Kiara's father.

King Simba's pride's numbers had swelled greatly when the Outlanders had joined them, and ever since then the numbers of the group had only increased. Several occasional wandering nomad males hoping to take over from Simba had been surprised by being welcomed into the pride so long as they made peace with Simba himself and respected his rule. They had all obliged graciously and had mingled into the pride. The unusual situation suited all, as already several different litters of cubs had been birthed and the pride seemed to be truly flourishing. Now over thirty lions, lionesses and cubs were under the benevolent rule of the still-young Simba.

As such, Kovu was still learning the names of some of the newest arrivals to the Pride. He scanned the crowd of lazing lionesses; going over the names he knew in his mind and trying to mentally link them to faces.

His train of thoughts was interrupted by the arrival of Simba. He was a huge, physically imposing lion with a massive build and impressive thick mane, but he wore such a relaxed, perhaps even slightly childish expression that he was always a welcome sight. Although a few pride members, Kovu included, had seen him fight and held his physically prowess in the highest regards.

"Hi Dad", Kiara said casually.

"Afternoon dear", Simba smiled, "And Kovu, you look well. If a little bored".

Kovu grinned, "You know me too well".

Simba shrugged his broad shoulders, "I think it's more I feel the same way, trust me on that. But I've a feeling this year's dry season is going to be particularly bad so I suppose we should be grateful for the peace".

As soon as the words were out of his mouth what resembled a blue thunderbolt struck the earth before him. A mass of matted feathers straightened itself out and eventually the shape of Zazu made itself apparent. The hornbill bowed low and did his best to look regal despite his apparent exhaustion.

"Afternoon Zazu", Simba smiled tolerantly, "You seem tired".

Zazu panted for a few seconds before clearing his throat and continuing in his somewhat pompous voice, "Yes sire. Forgive me; the heat is somewhat getting to me today. Please accept my most gracious apologies for my delay in providing you with your afternoon report. I came here as fast as my wings could carry me".

Simba blinked twice, "Oh, you're late? I didn't realize".

Zazu nearly collapsed at this but regained his composure and continued in his most important tone of voice, "If you'd permit me sire, I will commence with the afternoon report now".

A chorus of groans came from the lionesses. They were all too familiar with the tedious babbling of Zazu that Simba had to put up with twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Several of them covered their ears with their paws.

Zazu harrumphed and pretended not to notice. The King's major-domo took his job very seriously whilst many of the lions looked on him as little more than a traditional friend to have hanging around. It took quite a bit of explaining to foreign lions, especially the males, as to why they couldn't just eat him. However Simba knew that it was rather easy to underestimate the self-important hornbill. His heart was always in the right place and crucially he had many ways of getting news from around the Pride Lands. Almost all important information Simba received was relayed via Zazu.

Simba nodded kindly, "Go ahead Zazu".

"Well sire, I have it on very good information that Echo the matriarch of the Swingtusk Herd is expecting. Goodness knows who the father is, though I daresay she could tell you…"

The King did his best to listen politely and attentively to the rather extensive report on the affairs of the Pride Lands. Very little had changed since yesterday. Most of it was idle gossip, although the news about Echo was interesting. It wouldn't do any harm to pay her a visit and offer his congratulations.

As he listened to Zazu droning on he saw his mate and Queen, Nala walk up behind the hornbill. She was a divine lithe creature with pale fur and perilously beautiful eyes. Even to this day the very sight of his childhood pal-turned lifelong wife made Simba's heart skip a beat.

Zazu was unaware of Nala's arrival behind him. Nala began to make gagging noises and pull silly faces, mocking the bird even as she and Simba had in their cub years. Simba did his best not to laugh whilst Kovu and Kiara snickered.

Finally the report was drawing to an end. Simba tried not to break his concentration, which was rather difficult as Nala was pulling a particularly serious face and nodding along with mock severity at everything Zazu said like she was less than a year old. Simba managed to suppress the grin that was threatening to spread across his face.

"…But yes, I don't believe anyone will be so upfront with a rhino like Maralsh again, not if they know what's good for them. Oh, and one last trifling matter, sire. A few hours ago a cheetah was driven from his kill by hyenas".

Immediately all the lions and lionesses that weren't asleep snapped to attention and stared at Zazu with wide eyes and perked ears. Zazu stood perfectly still with his bill held high and his wings tucked back. Simba recognized that Zazu had been saving this particular piece of news for last in order to remind all of the cheekier lions present that he was not to be underestimated. Normally Simba would have laughed at the hornbill's cleverness if the news he had delivered weren't quite so grim.

"Hyenas?" Kiara gasped and the exclamation was taken up by the many of the other lionesses.

"Are you sure it was hyenas?" Simba asked sternly.

"Oh yes sire, my source is most reliable. You remember Acala the royal python? Not the chattiest of fellows but he was more than willing to share this news with me. Thought it would be of use. I must say he's a rather canny old snake…"

"Zazu. Where did this happen?"

"Oh right, of course. Well, about two miles south of the termite mounds. Acala was crossing from one grove of trees to another and decided to lie low when he spotted the cheetah. He saw the whole thing. Apparently there were about half a dozen of them. Almost certainly from the Elephant Graveyard".

Nala saw Simba tense a little. It was many years ago that the two of them as adventurous cubs had intruded into the Elephant Graveyard and encountered several of the hyenas who lived there. It had been the start of the events that had led to the death of Simba's father Mufasa, the exile of Simba and the crowning of his uncle Scar who allowed the hyenas to flood into the Pride Lands and unleash a new age of drought and starvation to the plains. Only a desperate battle led by Simba and Nala years later had driven the hyenas from Pride Rock and led to the grisly demise of the fraud King Scar.

She had never forgotten their lucky escape from the hyenas at the Elephant's Graveyard. Now both her and Simba were big, powerful adults that could swat away hyenas with one firm strike of their forepaws but nonetheless the memories of running for their lives with hot, stinking jaws clacking shut just inches behind them still haunted her and she knew it did Simba too.

"Hyenas", Kovu growled as if he could smell them already, "Do we get to go deal with them?"

Simba seemed snapped back to wakening after a dream, "Uh…yeah. Well, actually no. We'll give it two more nights and if there are no more hyena incursions then we'll leave it".

"A wise choice, sire", Zazu nodded sagely whilst Kovu looked somewhat disappointed.

"But until then", Simba continued, "I don't want any cubs going any further north than the waterhole, and at night time no cubs must leave Pride Rock altogether".

A few groans and exclamations of "Aww man!" came from one corner of the plateau. Simba smiled in gentle amusement.

"Can we still hunt Simba?" a young, pretty lioness called Nadhari asked.

"Yes but I think it'd be wise to be especially careful if there's any hunting parties over the next few days. If you encounter any trouble then don't risk a fight. The hyenas will probably give up after a day or two. Spread the word to the rest of the pride wherever any of you see them".

With that Simba turned and picked his way back up the path towards the shaded Throne Room. Nala followed him and left the lionesses chatting amongst themselves anxiously.

"I think they're a little too worried", Nala commented.

"I do as well", Simba said, "The hyenas left the Elephant Graveyard and took off further north just after Scar was killed. I'd heard rumours of their return but I have to admit I doubted it. The rumours didn't suggest anything as dramatic as stealing a kill from a Pridelander, but I still think this'll all blow over again in a few days. Not exactly consistent, hyenas".

"_Hyenas_?!" a pained voice shrieked from within the Throne Room.

Simba and Nala walked into the cavern and saw the little scruffy figure of Timon the meerkat hopping his way towards them.

"What was that about hyenas?" the hyperactive mongoose yelped.

"It's nothing to worry about Timon", Simba said soothingly to one of his two best friends.

The other one of his best friends was lying flat on his back on the Throne, snoring loudly. Pumbaa the warthog grunted and kicked in his sleep, apparently undisturbed by the commotion.

Simba cocked an eyebrow, "What's he doing on my Throne, o lowly subject?" he teased.

Timon put his hands on his hips, "My, you're pretty uppity for someone who still eats beetles once in a while when he thinks no-one's looking".

Nala looked confused, "What?"

Simba slipped behind her and began waving his forepaws frantically to signal to Timon to be quiet about that particular little secret of his. Timon grinned and rubbed his hands together as if relishing the prospect of having the mighty King Simba on a leash.

"Anyway, what's this about hyenas?" he asked, brought back to the present.

"Oh, well, a small group entered the Pride Lands earlier today and stole a kill from a cheetah", Nala explained.

"Oh. Oh? What, is that it? You had me all worked up about some moron carnivores arguing over who gets to murder what? Geez, if that's all I'm going back to sleep".

He scurried back to his sleeping warthog friend and curled up next to him. It was hard for outsiders to understand the privileges Timon and Pumbaa enjoyed under Simba's rule. As with Zazu the refusal of the right to eat them had confused many new pride members, but everyone understood now that they were close personal friends of the King and that they weren't to be touched. That didn't stop Timon from getting a little edgy around some of the lions however, but he took to the privileges of being a friend of the King like a fish to water.

Simba looked at his two lazy friends with fondness and nuzzled his adoring wife, who playfully pushed him away. Despite the looming dry season Simba found it hard to imagine in the bright rays of the sun that anything could stop his Kingdom from prospering.


	2. Hunting

Author's notes:

Here's the second chapter. Thank you very much for the kind review Fangsire, it's always nice to hear from other hyena enthusiasts. I assure you the hyenas will be in it a lot more.

Anyway, it occurred to me there's a lot of characters in this fic, many from the movies, many not. So to make it easier to remember who's who I'm gonna stick a character guide at the beginning of each chapter that'll cover all the characters who've been introduced so far up to this point – including the movie characters everybody obviously knows, for the sake of completeness, hehehe.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Nadhari – Adult lioness

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Also noticed that the links I posted to the art page last time didn't work for whatever reason. So, if you want to see the art, go to The Lion King Fan Art Archive and search up either RidiKill or Amaryllis. With that over, enjoy, and please leave a review if you have any comments or criticisms

* * *

"Well, _that_ was a waste of time", Vitani grumbled.

Kiara, who lay sprawling on a rocky outcrop with several other lionesses, looked up at her sister-in-law in the morning sunlight of Pride Rock. It was hard to believe that a year ago Vitani would have gladly killed her at a moment's notice. She was still a slightly scruffy young lioness with a patch of loose hair on her forehead but it was very easy to forget that she was in fact the daughter of Simba's villainous uncle Scar and the demented, twisted lioness Zira, both of whom had now met their end. Scar's had been particularly nasty.

"What was a waste of time?" Kiara asked.

"The hunting party last night", Vitani answered, sitting on her haunches.

"What are you talking about? You bagged a wildebeest. That'll keep the pride full until tonight, when it's my turn to lead a hunting party".

"Not the hunting, no, that was fine", Vitani said, "I was talking about hyenas. We were out the whole night and we didn't find a trace of one!"

"Isn't that like…a good thing?"

"No, it's boring", Vitani growled, "Anyway, good luck trying to bring home more than me tonight Ki, but you and I both know you'll never manage it", she grinned and rolled over on her back.

"Oh really? What about that time your hunting party failed to bring down those impala because you were too busy joking around with Amaryllis?" Kiara jibed back.

The two former enemies had developed a friendly rivalry now that each of them had been named leader of a hunting party. The two parties usually took turns each night going out and hunting, except for when the finest huntress in the Pride, Queen Nala, took charge every few days.

"You can't blame me for that!" Vitani declared haughtily, "It was Amaryllis who made me laugh".

"Yes, but it was you who couldn't control yourself", Amaryllis said as she approached. She was a young lioness with an unusually grey coat that contrasted strongly against her pink nose and green eyes.

"Oh, hi Amy", Vitani said, "Looking forward to hunting with the loser Princess Kiara's hunting party tonight for a change? Maybe you can give them a few pointers. It's the only way dear little Kiara will catch anything".

"Hey, hey, don't drag me into this", Amaryllis grinned, "I'm going to find Amabi. Anyone seen him?"

"Sure, he's with the other cubs. At the foot of the west slope", Kiara said.

"I think that Tenzer kid is looking after them", Vitani added, "Or at least he would be if he can get away from that Ryana girl for a few minutes".

"Tenzer? You mean that loner young guy who joined the pride a few months ago, kinda quiet and sullen? Are he and Ryana an item then?" Kiara mused.

Amaryllis snorted, "She wishes".

* * *

At the foot of the mighty Pride Rock, shaded by the main outcrop, a group of lion cubs were dashing back and forth in a high-speed game of tag. Over ten of the little scruffy youngsters were giggling and running around in circles. 

Nearby an adolescent male lion lay on his stomach, watching them play. He yawned and flexed his claws, more out of boredom than fatigue. The rapidly maturing Tenzer was a restless youth, about half the size of an adult lion.

As he watched the cubs a little male with distinctive dark markings and a scruffy crop of hair on his forehead wandered up, "Hey Tenzer, can you come play with us? Please?"

Tenzer smiled despite himself, "Uh, well, Amabi, I don't know…"

"Oh come on Tenzer", Amabi begged, "It's no fun without you. Pleeease?"

"Yeah, come on Tenzer", a little lioness cub called Alyssa, daughter of Nadhari butted in, "You're it!"

Tenzer sighed and got to his feet, "Okay, okay, you got it. Fine kids, but get ready to run, 'cos…"

"Hey Tenzer! There you are!" a voice called out.

Tenzer rolled his eyes and turned to see a dark adolescent lioness the same age as himself approaching. She padded up close – too close for Tenzer's tastes – and smiled.

"I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been?"

"Oh…uh…hi Ryana. I've just been looking after the cubs", Tenzer muttered.

"We don't need looking after!" Alyssa's brother Kelt declared proudly, stepping forward.

"Sure you don't, small fry", Tenzer teased before giving Kelt a small shove with his paw and sending him tumbling head over heels to land in a giggling heap.

"Wow, you sure are good with kids!" Ryana said cheerfully, "That's awesome, I wish I was as confident with kids but I tend to daydream a bit with kids around, do you? Guess it just reminds me of my childhood…"

Tenzer stifled a groan and did his best to nod politely at every point Ryana made. She had a terrible tendency to babble when she was excited or embarrassed and Tenzer knew perfectly well why she was embarrassed in this case. She had never made it much of a secret that she had a huge crush on the solitude loving Tenzer – something that he could only return with veiled contempt or, at best, continued ignoring.

"My Mom's great, she looked after me so well when I was a cub. And my Dad. Well, actually I didn't know my Dad for too long. But yeah…uh…enough about parents…"

The cubs edged away uneasily at the talk about parents. Tenzer's mother had died when he was no older than they were. He had luckily been found by his father Lokanneoro before he could starve to death, and had been raised by him until they had wandered into the Pride Lands and been accepted by Simba. But the death of Tenzer's mother was clearly scarring for him and most members of the pride guessed that was why he was somewhat distant and quiet.

Ryana's babble faded away into nothing for a moment, but after a moment she resumed, "Uh, well anyway…Tenzer…I was wondering…what are you doing tonight?"

Tenzer's eyes narrowed, "Why?"

"Uh…well, if you're not up to anything, then I thought me and you could…hang out or something?"

Tenzer looked annoyed.

"Sorry, he can't tonight Ryana", Amaryllis said, suddenly emerging from the bushes behind the adolescent lioness, "He has to watch over Amabi and the others tonight, don't you Tenzer?" she said and when Ryana's back was turned she winked at him.

He nodded slowly, grateful for Amaryllis' excuse, "Yeah, that's right, I do".

The cubs cheered, as they liked Tenzer. Amabi ran up to Amaryllis and rubbed up against her leg. She nuzzled him. Amabi wasn't her biological son. Amaryllis was a loner lioness who had lived far from the Pride Lands. She had discovered Amabi cowering in a ditch, alone and surrounded by waiting jackals. She had driven them off and taken the little cub in despite of her love of solitude. Unable to support both herself and her adopted son alone, she had headed for the bountiful Pride Lands and sought an audience with Simba, who was glad for her addition to his pride.

"Oh", Ryana looked crestfallen but only for a moment, "Oh, well then, I can help you, right Tenzer?"

Tenzer was lost for an answer. Amaryllis shrugged helplessly. She could sympathize with Tenzer's situations as they were both keen on their solitude and she'd had to avoid the unwanted attentions of male lions in her time.

"Well, just don't distract Tenzer", Amaryllis said, "Princess Kiara is leading a hunt tonight and I'm going with her, as are a lot of your Moms", she said to the cubs, "So I want you and Tenzer to keep a close eye on them, okay? No wandering off".

"Wow, you're going hunting Mom? Even though there's hyenas out there tonight?" Amabi enthused, "I bet that's gonna be _so_ cool!"

Amaryllis smiled, "I don't think we'll run into any hyenas tonight sweetheart. Now, you be good for Tenzer", she turned tail and headed back up to Pride Rock, looking back over her shoulder once at Tenzer and Ryana, "Remember what I said: don't distract him, okay Ryana?"

Ryana looked hurt, "I won't. You can trust me".

* * *

Night. Eight lionesses sauntered through the cool grass in the moonlight. They walked upright, not attempting to hide yet for they first needed to locate prey before they could begin stalking. However they kept quiet and kept their eyes and ears alert in search of the herds. The leader of the hunting party was Kiara the young princess. 

A soft, quiet coughing noise alerted the party. Kiara responded with the same call and they stopped to wait. After a moment another lioness crept out of the shadows of the acacia trees. It was the scout Amaryllis.

"There's a group of zebra about a mile north of her", she said quietly, "No foals but they don't look too alert either. No sign of hyenas".

Kiara grimaced. Zebras were really not ideal prey. Despite the plentiful meat the big animals provided, they were powerful and fast and presented a considerably tricky hunt. But the entire pride was going to be hungry and Kiara was not about to come home empty-handed, as much so Vitani wouldn't have one over here as anything else.

"Let's go take a look then. Lead the way Amaryllis", Kiara said eventually and the hunters melted away into the darkness.

* * *

There was absolute silence on the borders of the Pride Lands. About twenty noiseless shapes marched deeper into the territory of lions. Twenty pairs of gleaming yellow eyes glinted in the night. Inky black shadows outlined the hanging heads and the bodies that sloped from the shoulders down to the swishing tails of the fearsome creatures. 

The hyenas were on the hunt. They moved swiftly and silently with their heads held low. The lack of chatter was enough to show those who knew anything about hyenas that these individuals were in a serious mood and were hungry.

They had been walking for over an hour now. In the midst of the pack one hunter giggled in a mix of anticipation and nervousness. The leader in front of the group looked back over its shoulder at it.

"Quiet", the leader snarled under its breath.

There was silence again. With amazing stealth they strode on. At last one of the hyenas craned its neck upwards and sniffed the air. It looked at the leader and nodded a signal.

The leader turned to the rest of the pack, "Faster!"

Still silently they began to lope forward, heads held high now and their eyes flaring. They sniffed the air eagerly as they galumphed on, spurred on by the thought of fresh meat.

* * *

"This has to be, by far, the stupidest idea you have ever had", Alyssa muttered through clenched teeth. 

"Aww, shut up", Amabi replied, "You didn't have to come if you didn't want to".

The two lion cubs continued to bicker as they picked their way through the long grass of the dark savannah. Trailing behind were another four cubs who were looking from side to side nervously. The headstrong Amabi was in the front with his head held high and tail perked. A proud smile was on his young face as he strode forward.

"I'm scared", one of the younger male cubs whimpered from the back of the shuffling group.

"Come on you guys, this will be worth it, I promise it", Amabi said looking back over his shoulder, "How often do we get to see our moms hunting?"

"Don't lie, you idiot", Alyssa hissed between clenched teeth, "You just bought us out here to show off. You just want to do something dangerous. You know that King Simba said we're not allowed to leave Pride Rock yet. You deliberately waited until Tenzer was distracted by Ryana to sneak out when your Mom said we should be left in their care!"

"Oh, come on", Amabi muttered, "Simba and my Mom are being too careful. If there was really danger of hyenas, do you think Simba would let the lionesses go out hunting?"

"Yes", another lioness cub called, "Our moms can look after themselves against hyenas. We can't".

"This is all your fault Amabi", Kelt said.

"Oh, then why did you all come with me then? That's not my fault", Amabi snapped.

The other cubs mumbled and kept shuffling forward. They didn't have an answer to that. If they were honest they would have admitted they were excited to be out and about on their own when they knew perfectly well that their elders forbid it – they had had to pick their moment to sneak away from a babbling Ryana and a thoroughly annoyed Tenzer very carefully. Life as a cub at Pride Rock could be pretty boring – there were lots of other cubs to play with, not to mention Timon and Pumbaa, but after a while that grew thin. Even the most nervous cubs longed for excitement once in a while, something to measure up to their elders with. The idea of watching a hunt at night when potential danger lurked was too much to pass up.

But that didn't stop the cubs from feeling nervous. They looked back and forth as they shambled forward and one or two of the younger ones whimpered. Only Amabi didn't betray any wariness, although his heart was beating wildly inside his scruffy chest.

After a few more silent minutes of trying in vain to follow the trail of their parents Amabi halted. They had come to a dry ravine filled with thick scrub. Amabi looked at it for a moment and then slid down the dirt bank into the gorge.

"What are you doing?" one of the cubs whispered fiercely, "They're not going to be hunting down there you idiot!"

"I just want a look", the headstrong leader said, "Come and see, I think I've found something".

He stepped further into the darkness and peered closer at a small form draped across the floor as he heard his reluctant followers slide down after him. He looked closer at the object and saw it was a dead hare, lying on its side.

"Eww, don't eat that, you don't know what's been eating it first", Alyssa said in disgust.

"It's only been killed recently, genius", Amabi shot back, "I wonder what happened to it?"

"Well, I could tell you, but it might frighten you a bit", a high-pitched sniggering voice said out of the darkness.

The cubs squealed in fear as a hyena stepped out of the dark. Its eyes suddenly seemed to blaze into yellow light in the murk. Yet more pairs of eyes flickered into existence at the opposite rim of the ravine from the one the cubs had entered. The cubs could discern four more hyenas picking their way down the slope to join their companion towering over the cubs.

"My, my, my, what have you found now Babaka?" one of them sneered in a deep sarcastic voice.

"One hare and six hairballs", the first hyena giggled.

"Shut up and let me have a closer look", a bellowing guttural voice snarled.

As the five hyenas stepped forward the clouds rolled back from across the moon and cast them in ghastly pale light. The cubs whined in terror at the sight of the creatures. The little lions barely came up to the knee joints of the hyenas who were leaning forward eagerly towards them. Their hides were a mottled grey-tan with darker spots. Long black manes ran down the lengths of their sloping necks and little perked tails revealed the hyenas' excitement. Their powerful shoulders were tensed.

Their faces seemed hideous to the cubs. Some were scarred, some were missing bits of their large ears, some were drooling, some were snarling, some were grinning. Their black lips were curled back to reveal their massive crushing teeth.

One of the hyenas pushed its way to the front of the group, jostling and growling in a manner that seemed to suggest it was the leader. It glared at the cubs with shining yellow eyes.

"I found them just wandering down here", the first hyena informed.

"Huh. I guess word hasn't reached their King yet of our little visits to his lands", another mused.

"That's odd", another grunted, "We weren't exactly secretive".

"Who cares?" one growled furiously, "Let's just rip them apart!"

One of the cubs screamed in terror and covered her eyes with her paws. Instantly a fit of giggling broke out amongst the hyenas. Only the leader didn't laugh. It peered closer at the cubs with a ferocious glint in its eyes.

"What are little innocents like yourself doing out all alone during hunting hours?" it rasped, speaking directly to Amabi.

Amabi tried to answer but his tongue seemed stuck to the roof of his mouth. His body was shaking with intense fear and he could feel his last meal building up inside his stomach. He was going to throw up.

After a moment of stillness he heaved up his stomach contents all over the floor in front of the hyena. The youngest cub was crying. Amabi continued to vomit, hurling up chunks of meat and goo.

"Oh, _that's _nice", one of the hyenas said in repugnance.

The leader of the hyenas looked down at its forepaw. A small amount of vomit was splattered on its lower leg. Casually the hyena wiped it off on a nearby bush.

"Well, since we're obviously not going to get anything useful from these little wretches", the pack leader said slowly before leaning down to put its face directly into that of Amabi, cocking its head as it studying the cub, "Kill them".

Instantly two hyenas who seemed like they were having particular difficulty in restraining themselves hurled themselves forward, foaming jaws open wide. Whatever instincts had been keeping the cubs rooted to the spot with terror suddenly released them and the cubs whirled about and darted up the side of the ravine with speed that amazed themselves.

"Uh?" they heard one of the two attackers grunt as its jaws snapped shut on nothing.

The leader charged after the cubs. Amabi was towards the rear of the group and the leader made straight for him. As they hyenas' jaws swooped down to close on him Amabi ducked and rolled and then scooted off, dodging death by inches.

"Well now, missed him. How nimble", the leader said to itself, amused.

"After them!" the rest of the hyenas howled in excitement and the five of them bounded after the cubs, churning up the dust with their black paws.

As they did one of them lowered its head and let rip with an unearthly call, a deep lowing howl that rose to a high-pitched squeal, "Oooooo-whup!" It was the hunting summon of the hyenas.


	3. Chase

Author's note: Thanks for all the kind reviews and people who've added to this story to their update alerts and what-have-you. It's very encouraging.

This chapter is very long. I've already written about 70 pages of the story, you see, and I'm only now going back, editing it and inserting chapter breaks for posting up here. I couldn't find a decent chapter break here for a while, so this chapter may be a bit of a struggle to get through. But it's got lots of action to counter that.

You may have noticed this story is quite dark and grim by Lion King standards. That's not because I think dark stories are better, they just suit my writing style better. So I apologize if you're somewhat offended by the graveness of the story, as it only gets darker really. Although it's not too disturbing.

Anyway, character update:

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Tenzer - Half-grown male lion

Ryana - Half-grown lioness

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Babaka – Adult hungry hyena, first one to discover lion cubs

? – hunting hyena pack leader

And finally, here we go:

* * *

The lionesses were spread out and crouching down as they approached the zebra, who were ahead somewhere in the darkness. The sound of dry grass crunching between strong teeth was audible to the lionesses' keen senses. They shivered in excitement.

Kiara shifted closer and closer. She nodded to the two lionesses flanking her, Sharhal and Aetti. They crouched closer to the floor and slinked forward as Kiara waited.

Ninety percent of hunting was waiting. It was not nearly as exciting as cubs thought it was. Waiting for the right moment to strike…it was far more important than the few second-dash and struggle to bring down the prey.

Kiara watched Sharhal and Aetti merge into the darkness. Somewhere ahead in the dark the other lionesses were beginning to encircle the zebras. It was a tactic most hunting parties couldn't employ due to few numbers but in the Pride Lands it was a favoured strategy. Amaryllis the scout, one of the fastest hunters, was posed roughly opposite Kiara but a few hundred meters on the other side of the zebras. Kiara and Amaryllis would charge at the same moment with any luck, and the panicked zebras would attempt to flee in all directions, clashing with the surrounding lionesses. Hopefully they'd be able to bring down two or three zebras. That was ideal when in it came to feeding a pride as big as Simba's.

It was nearly time. Kiara could feel the tension and anticipation of the other lionesses' in the night air. She began to climb to her feet to charge…

"Oooooo-whup!"

As one all the lionesses started at the noise in the distance. Aetti to the right of Kiara stood up instinctively and looked around, revealing her presence to the zebra.

A shrill hooting alarm call went up from the zebra group. Their hooves pounded the dirt as they charged away, heading directly away from Aetti. They moved astonishingly fast. One of the lionesses made a half-hearted attempt to grab at a mare that ran right past her, but the element of surprise was gone and in a few seconds so were the zebra.

Aetti looked around at the other lionesses and grinned sheepishly, "Sorry".

"Well, there goes dinner", one of the group muttered.

"That was a hyena, right?" asked another.

"Yeah, it was. And there's another", Amaryllis said as another hyena hunting call sounded somewhere to the northwest.

"Let's go check it out", Kiara said instantly.

"Your Dad said to be careful", Sharhal said pointedly.

"Yeah, but it's more important to make sure that we drive them from our lands over anything else", Kiara pointed out, somewhat excited, "Come on, there's no time to talk about it. Let's move!"

* * *

The cubs jinked and dodged back and forth as the great jaws of the hyenas snapped shut behind them. The massive teeth always seemed to clack just a few inches behind them. Somewhere in the back of his adrenaline-fuelled mind Amabi wondered if the hyenas were merely playing with them.

Suddenly up in front of the cubs more hideous shapes rose out of the darkness. About ten hyenas lunged at the cubs, cackling hysterically. Behind them the original five pursuers snorted in amusement. They had merely been driving the cubs into their waiting pack mates.

The lead cub, Kelt, shot between the legs of the hyenas that were lying in wait. In the blink of an eye the rest of the cubs followed suit, suitably confusing the smirking hyenas.

"Uh…what?" one of them grunted before the five pursuers crashed into their front rank.

There was a twist of spotted bodies and snapping teeth as the hyenas picked themselves up, cursing and spitting. The cubs ran on, making the most of their advantage and trying to put some distance between themselves and the hyenas. Behind them they could hear the hyenas arguing.

"Impossible!" one small hyena whined as he untangled himself from two snarling pack members, "Did they dodge us or something? Did you see them? Anyone?"

"Shut up!" the leader growled, "Get on your feet, all of you, you miserable little maggots, and get moving! They went this way! Come on!"

The hyenas got up and bounded after the cubs, furious they had been outsmarted and humiliated, although a few of the sillier pack members were giggling in apparent amusement at the collision.

The cubs were exhausted. Their heads were hanging and their fur was soaked with the cold sweat of fear and fatigue. At any moment it felt like their legs would give out beneath them. Amabi cursed himself for being stupid enough to lead his friends out here to their deaths. Tears were staining his face as he knew that despite their brief head start, there was no way they could keep outrunning a pack of healthy adult hyenas for long.

Up ahead there was another shallow slight gorge. The cubs made for it and darted between the low rock walls. They jinked around a corner up ahead and the hyenas disappeared from view, although Amabi knew they were still gaining on them.

"Come here", a voice snapped from off to the left.

Amabi kept running, wondering if it was his imagination when a dark figure leapt out from the cliff wall in front of them and lunged at them.

* * *

The hyenas crashed through the gorge, snarling and cackling. After a brief dash down the narrow crevice they jostled to make their way out of it and back onto open plains.

The leader stopped in its tracks and looked around. The lion cubs were nowhere to be seen. Some of the other pack members were still galloping ahead, oblivious. Others halted and looked around, growling in confusion and frustration.

"Where did they go now?" one muttered.

"Garn!" the leader spat a hyena curse word, "We must have missed them in the gorge. Here, you!" it roared at the hyenas who were still running on ahead, lost in the excitement of the chase, "Get back here, you idiots! Or, better yet, call Sarkil's group! We're gonna need all of them. Everyone else spread out and search the entire gorge and the nearby area. They're here somewhere!"

* * *

Amabi watched the hyenas stalk back down the gorge, muttering and cursing amongst themselves angrily. From his vantage point he could see and hear about half a dozen whooping at the other end of the gorge, apparently calling others.

His vantage point was a tree, and while he focused on the hyenas for that split second, he kept an eye on their captor, waiting for the moment when he and his companions could make their escape. Of course that was going to be difficult as they were stuck up a tree, about ten feet above the ground, and they were perched on the lowest branch there was. The only method of escape was a direct plunge to the earth, and from there it would be a mad dash from the hyenas again.

"Don't be afraid", their captor said in a honey-sweet voice, "I won't hurt you".

Amabi looked at their captor who was sat in the same branch as the quivering cubs. It was a beautiful leopard with a golden hide and rich black rosettes dotting its soft fur. The leopard was looking at them with maddeningly piercing eyes and an unfathomable blank expression on its face.

"What…what do you want?" Alyssa asked.

"Nothing", the leopard said, "My name is Mali. I don't suppose you'll have heard of me?"

"I have", one of the cubs piped up, "You're one of the most faithful predator subjects of Simba", she turned to the other cubs, "My Mom was telling me about him. He's the Representative of the leopards to the King and their best hunter".

Mali smiled without showing his teeth, "Well, what do you know. Got it in one".

"So…is he…dangerous?" Alyssa stuttered.

"Dangerous?" Mali asked, "Oh yes, I'm terribly dangerous. When I'm hungry. Or angry. But I've certainly got nothing against you, little cubs. I pulled you up here to get you out of the way of"; he looked down at the hunting hyenas and nearly spat, "Of _them_".

Amabi thought about what had happened when the leopard had leaped out at them. Without them even being able to identify what it was he had seized them, three gripped by the nape of the neck in his teeth and three scooped up in his right paw. He had shot up the side of the gorge with incredible speed considering how burdened he was by handling the cubs and made for the nearest acacia tree.

He had clambered up the trunk of the tree with amazing speed even as the hyenas hurtled around the corner below them, missing the cubs completely. And the entire time the cubs had no idea what was going on except that they were probably going to be eaten. Amabi looked at Mali in awe.

Some of the cubs began to cheer, but Mali lifted his paw to signal to them to keep their voices down, "Ssh. Hyenas aren't very smart but they've got good hearing. Not to mention their even better sense of smell".

"Uh...thank you for your help", Amabi managed to say clumsily. It was difficult to know what to say to a stranger who had saved your life for no apparent reason other than the goodness of his heart.

"Don't mention it", Mali grinned, "I wasn't about to let members of the monarchy end up as lunch for those cursed invaders. Those filthy kill-stealers and cub-murderers!" he snarled with frightening intensity.

The cubs backed away nervously. As grateful as they were to the leopard they could easily appreciate his power and ferocious predator instincts. After all, leopards were know for their ruthless streaks and if this one was a Representative of his species to King Simba…

The leopard relaxed, "Sorry. As you can tell, I hate hyenas. With a passion".

"I can understand that", Alyssa said, "But anyway, what do we do now? How do we get down from here and get back to Pride Rock?"

"Oh well, you'll have to wait for morning", Mali said casually.

"Morning!" Amabi exclaimed, "We need to get back before Tenzer and Ryana realize we're missing!"

"Oh. Well, tough luck I'm afraid, kid. You shouldn't be out here anyway, I assume you know that. Anyway, maybe you won't have to wait until morning. Maybe your mothers will come along and find you. I've seen them a little way east of here".

"You've seen them!" Alyssa enthused, "Did you seem then hunting?"

"Well…yeah, of course. I see them hunting all the time. Nothing new to me", Mali said, reminding Alyssa of her place in all this amongst great hunters.

"Anyway our Moms finding us here will be worse than having to wait for morning!" Amabi groaned, imagining the look of fury on Amaryllis' face.

"I want to go home", one of the cubs whined.

"Well I'm afraid you don't have any choice in the matter", Mali said gently, "If you go down now the hyenas will just find you. Even if you wait for them to go I can hardly recommend heading out for home on your own. They may be hiding nearby, plus the night draws in other dangers besides hyenas. You'll just have to wait".

"How do we get down when the time comes, sir?" Alyssa asked.

"Well, _don't_ do what I've seen adult lions do sometimes. As big and heavy as they are they still try to climb down _backwards_! Can you believe it? No, you must climb down headfirst, my little ones. When I leave now I'll gouge some marks with my claws for you to use as footholds. That'll make it easier for you".

"You're…leaving?" the whining cub squeaked.

"Well of course I am! I can't spend all night up a tree babysitting you, as glad as I am that I managed to rescue you. I have things to do. And to catch", he licked his chops, "No, you'll be fine up here. Hyenas can't climb, that I can promise you. But I wouldn't recommend losing your balance".

The cubs shivered and looked down at the hyenas, which were still hunting for them. They were sniffing the ground and cocking their ears, listening. Some were still whooping. Their glowing eyes pierced the dark like venomous wounds.

"Why do they want to kill us?" Kelt whispered, "What have we done to them?"

"Done? Oh nothing, of course. And I can promise you they're not hunting you to ease their hunger. Six little cubs would barely make for a mouthful each amongst all these filthy brutes. No, they're just after you because…that's the way it's always been between lions and hyenas. Lions drive hyenas away whenever they see them, and hyenas do their best to kill lion cubs because they know one day each lion cub will grow up into something strong enough to knock them flat with one little paw-tap.

"They want to eliminate competition and it's easiest to do that when it's youngest. They do it to leopards too. Not to mention cheetahs and Cape hunting dogs. It's just what hyenas do – they pick on the weak and infirm. Not like proper predators like us lions and leopards".

Mali yawned, displaying his massive canine teeth, "Oh, by the way, these aren't the only hyenas out here tonight. I've been watching them quite a bit. They weren't nearly as stealthy as they thought they were when they entered the Pride Lands. There were about twenty of them and they all split up into four groups of five and went separate ways to try to find as much prey as possible.

"You ran into five of them while two groups joined up again and lay that ambush for you. All of them down there are from these three groups. There's still a fourth group somewhere out there, to the west I think. That's the one those howling idiots are calling. So yeah, that's another reason you can't climb down tonight. You don't know where all these different groups are. So good luck to you".

Amabi looked down at the hyenas, "I still don't get why we can't…" he turned to look back at Mali; he was gone.

"Wow. Fast _and _stealthy", Amabi said.

"Tell me about it", Alyssa muttered.

The growls of the hyenas were getting louder as they drew nearer. The cubs instinctively flattened themselves and lay still and silent. The Serengeti night was surprisingly cold and the youngsters had to suppress their shivers. In the distance they could hippos grunting from the waterhole to the south and the alarm calls of zebra to the east.

After ten minutes the cubs were getting tired. At their age they needed a lot of sleep and their escape from the hyenas had wasted a lot of energy. Amabi realized his head was nodding and he was having difficult keeping his eyes open. One of the cubs was yawning and it soon set Amabi off yawning too.

"Don't fall asleep you idiots!" Alyssa hissed, her voice piercing after the long silence, "You'll lose your balance and fall!"

"Oh come on, let them shut their eyes for a moment!" a voice sniggered from below.

The cubs looked down below and saw the twin glowing eyes of a hyena staring up at them. The rest of the creature was barely visible in the darkness. It laughed and then turned back towards the gorge.

"Hey I found them! Over here!" it raised its voice and howled the hyena summon, "Oooooo-whup!"

In the next few minutes twenty hyenas were assembled in a ring around the acacia tree, twenty pairs of yellow eyes glaring up at the cubs. Low growls and gulping noises came from the more impatient individuals. The cubs were silent, staring back at the hyenas with eyes wide with terror.

Moonlight pierced through the clouds and bathed the scene in pale light for a few minutes. The cubs could clearly see the hyenas smacking their chops and licking their lips. Some were drooling, some were snarling, some were sitting patiently.

"How long are we going to have sit here?" the little one with the whiny voice asked.

"How should I know?" the leader growled, "Until they fall. Unless you can climb up there yourself Groco?"

"I was just asking you big stupid chunk of meat!" Groco shrieked.

"Why you…" the leader stood up and took a few steps forward.

"Maybe you should both shut up?" one scarred hyena snapped, "Shouting your lungs out isn't going to make the waiting go by any quicker. Besides we don't want to draw attention to ourselves tonight".

"Bit late for that", another grumbled, settling down on its stomach, "We've chased these little runts miles out of our way, howling like idiots the whole time. Half the Pride Lands probably know we're here by now".

"Yeah, and what happened to the food we were supposed to bring back for the clan?" one grunted.

"Shut your traps!" the leader sat back down on its haunches but its tail still twitched, "It's not every day we get a chance to knock off six lion cubs. This'll be six less lions for us to deal with in a few years time. So just keep your thoughts to yourself! It'll only be a few minutes now".

"Says you, hyena!" Kelt spat, suddenly filled with fury with the way the leader was referring to them, "You think we're just gonna fall like fruit out of this tree?"

The leader craned its head upwards to look at the cub and it grinned, displaying its terrible teeth, "Oh, you'll fall soon little one. Young legs and young minds get tired real easy. Not to mention the fact you little morons up there don't got any food or water. We can wait for days if we want to: we can just take it in turns going to the waterhole".

Amabi muttered under his breath, "Well, while you're at the waterhole I can think of something else you should do: take a bath".

The big hyena cocked its head and erected an ear, "What was that? Speak up, kid, I didn't hear that!"

Amabi swallowed hard and then shouted loud enough to be heard for miles around, "Okay, I said: _you smell_!"

The other hyenas stared for a second in silence. Then they burst into hysterics. They rolled around on the floor shrieking with laughter until they were weak; cackling and hooting until there were tears in their eyes. The leader was sitting still but snarling furiously, spit flying from his jaws and his eyes blazing with fury.

"Oh, man, that's rich!" one of the hyenas snorted over the laughter.

"You tell it like it is, kid!" another yelled at Amabi.

The cubs giggled despite their situation while the hyenas rocked back and forth in fits of laughter.

"Shut up, all of you!" the leader roared at its companions before turning to Amabi, "You little lion-rat! I'll get you for that. I won't rest until I've gotten you back for that smart-mouth of yours!"

It suddenly lunged at the base of the tree trunk and snapped its massive jaws, snarling fiercely. Instinct kicked in for the cubs and they leapt back. It happened fast. Kelt's rear paw caught a snag on the branch and he lost his footing. With a gasp of surprise he pitched over the side and fell out of the tree. The cubs screamed as he landed in an unconscious heap before the feet of the leader hyena.

The other hyenas suddenly stopped laughing and sat upright, watching eagerly as the leader bent down and picked up Kelt in its jaws. The crushing teeth held Kelt by the nape of the neck as gently as if the leader were carrying a hyena cub. However with a twitch of his jaws he could have crushed the cub's spine.

"Well now", the leader chuckled, "How lucky. Maybe having to watch me eat your little friend alive is going to be enough payback for you".

Something struck the leader hard and bowled it over. Kelt fell from its jaws, unharmed. The leader, shocked, found itself on its back staring up at a lioness with her teeth bared and claws out.

Behind her the other seven lionesses charged in, led by Kiara. They swiped at the hyenas with their massive paws and sank their teeth into them whenever they could get the chance. The hyenas fought back with their snapping jaws.

Underneath the paws of the lioness Nadhari, mother of Kelt and Alyssa, the leader hyena squirmed about and wrenched himself free. He looked about at the fight. It was brutal and fierce but brief. The hyenas outnumbered the lionesses but not by enough, and the element of surprise had the hyenas on the back foot, barely able to defend themselves. Already half a dozen of the more timid hyenas were fleeing north without offering any resistance.

"Let's get out of here!" the leader yelled and turned tail and fled.

Yelping and whining the hyenas fled into the night, loping away at top speed. Three of the lionesses gave chase but turned back after a moment. Nadhari was standing over the lifeless Kelt with tears in her eyes.

"Oh…no…please no…" she whispered.

Kelt coughed and rolled over in the dust. His eyes opened slowly and he smiled weakly at Nadhari.

"Hi Mom…I'm sorry I got mixed up in all this".

He slumped back over, coughing. Nadhari sobbed and pressed her nose into her son's side. Aetti padded over tentatively and looked at him.

"He looks fine", she said after a moment, "He's breathing well and he doesn't have any broken bones. Can you stand up, kid?"

Kelt nodded, "I think so", slowly and painfully he climbed to his feet and walked back and forth to make sure he was okay, "I'm fine, just a bit winded".

"You won't be!" Nadhari snapped between sobs, "I'll kill you for making me worry like this!"

"And you as well, Amabi!" Amaryllis roared up at her quivering adopted son, "Who's stupid idea was it to come marching out here in the middle of the night with hyenas around the in the middle of the night?" she looked back and forth at the different cubs in the tree, "Well?"

Amabi cowered down and his face behind his paws.

"Let's just calm down, shall we?" Kiara said gently, "Let's just go home. You can all shout at your kids some more on the way. But for now there might be more hyenas around. Let's just concentrate on getting them down from the tree, okay? And how did you get up there anyway?" she asked, looking up at the cubs.

"Uh…we'll explain on the way", Alyssa said, "Let's just get down from here. The leopard left these claw marks for us to use as footholds".

"What…leopard?!" Sharhal exclaimed, "Oh…you're going to be very sorry when you get down here you little idiots!"

Kiara grinned, still a little flushed from the excitement of the fight, "Maybe, but not as sorry as the hyenas are feeling now, I bet".

* * *

"Oh man, you gotta admit that was funny Ridikill!"

The hyenas were walking home, away from the Pride Lands, giggling about the cheeky lion cub's "smell" joke. Except for the leader who was walking ahead with an angry scowl on its face.

"I thought I told you to shut up!" it snapped.

"Oh, never mind Ridikill", the female called Sarkil grinned at the first hyena, "He's just sulking because he couldn't get his own back on that little hairball. Aren't you Ridikill?"

"Garn, you shut your mouth!" Ridikill barked.

"Hehehehe, I'm gonna be laughing about this for weeks!" the little runt hyena called Groco sniggered, before checking the distance between him and the leader Ridikill and skipping back out of the way a little.

"Argh, just shut up and keep moving! The less talking all you idiots do the faster we walk and the sooner we get home", Ridikill muttered.

"We didn't catch anything, you know, except that hare Babaka grabbed. And he left that behind, and there wasn't enough meat on it to feed a jackal anyway", Kapungu grunted, looking back over his shoulder at the way they had came, "Man, Shenzi and Banzai are gonna be annoyed".

"Tell me about it", Ridikill replied, "But I'm the one who has to go ahead and give them my report. I could give them a much nicer report if some of you wimps had moved a little faster and snapped up those little idiot lion cubs! But no, you all had to lose your heads and stampede around like fools".

"You know, it was _your_ idea to keep hunting those cubs after we lost them in the gorge", Groco pointed out.

"You'd have all done the same. And like I told you, six little lion cubs all alone in the dark is not an opportunity to pass up, is it?"

"Ah, but they weren't alone were they?" Sarkil grumbled.

"Whose fault is that?" Ridikill grunted, "Not mine. Maybe you and your group should have scouted the area a little better first, Sarkil. Then maybe we could have cleared off before those lionesses descended on us".

"Oh, so it's my fault now, is it?" she shot back, "You know, just because you're the head of this hunting party doesn't make you my superior".

"When you're in my hunting party you follow my orders, see? Shenzi made me head of this little camping trip. And when it's our turn to go hunting, you'll do what I say! Got that?"

"You psychopath!" Sarkil screeched, "Don't you talk to me like that you brute, or I'll…"

Ridikill stopped walking and looked at her, baring his teeth and his mane bristling, "Or you'll what?"

Sarkil looked him up and down. Usually female hyenas were bigger and stronger than the males, not to mention higher-ranking. But Ridikill was a huge hyena who dwarfed her and he was a fierce hunter. The clan leaders hadn't made him the only male hunting chief for nothing. She bowed her head and turned away, unwilling to get into a scrap with her vicious leader over a little argument.

"Ah, take it easy you two guys", Groco chimed in again, "It sure wasn't Sarkil's fault the lionesses knew we were there, was it honey?"

Sarkil snorted and ignored Groco's transparent attempt at sucking up to her.

"At any rate", Groco grinned, "It was probably Ridikill's fault. The lionesses probably _smelled_ him coming, right?"

The pack burst into laughter again. Ridikill snarled and whirled about to face Groco who had cleverly positioned himself behind Ridikill's scarred second-in-command Burudi and the grumpy Kapungu. The leader hyena lunged forward regardless, bowling his two companions over and pouncing on a shocked Groco.

Groco squealed as Ridikill grabbed him by the neck and shook him back and forth like a rag doll. Most of the other hyenas leapt up and leant in for a closer look at the fight, laughing as they were prone to do. However Burudi got back up on his feet and yelled at Ridikill.

"Let go of him you moron! You're gonna kill him like that and you know that's not a good idea".

Ridikill looked at him with savage eyes while still gripping the helpless Groco between his teeth. He grunted after a moment and then swung his neck as hard as he could and released Groco at the same time, hurling him over ten feet away to land on the hard ground.

"Get up on your feet and let's get moving!" Ridikill ordered to his followers, "Come on, let's get back to the Graveyard before dawn. And we'll have no more funny business, see? I've had enough tricks for tonight. Now come on! Move your feet!"

Grumbling the hyenas set off again. Groco picked himself up, wheezing heavily and limping slightly. Ridkill looked back over his shoulder at him.

"Come on you! Don't fall behind! You're dragging!"


	4. Aftermath

Author's note: Well, another chapter. Thanks for the reviews and encouragement with the story, it's been very helpful. I hope you all enjoy this (also very long) chapter. Please leave a review if you have a comment. Oh yeah, also, you may have noticed the lions and hyenas are somewhat more genuinely nocturnal in this fic than they are in the movies. But just like the real animals they're not restricted to sleeping in the day and hunting at night, so expect to see a bit of both. Thank you again.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness

Aetti – Adult lioness

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader

Burudi – Adult male hyena, Ridikill's 'lieutenant'

Groco – Adult male hyena

Sarkil – Adult female hyena

Kapungu – Adult male hyena

Babaka – Adult male hyena

Mali – Adult male leopard

* * *

The cubs and the lionesses walked home in silence. There was nothing more to say. The cubs had explained to their mothers what had happened about three times and the lionesses had yelled at their kids until their voices were hoarse. Most of the cubs had started to cry. But now all was at rest and they headed back for Pride Rock.

The youngsters didn't need reminding about how disappointed their mothers were with them. Especially Amabi. Once he had admitted to Amaryllis that is was his idea to lead the cubs out at night he had seen her tense up and her eyes narrow with fury. He knew he was in for another talking-to when they got back for putting his friends in danger as well as himself. Not to mention he'd probably got Tenzer and Ryana in trouble as well. He looked up at his angry adopted mother nervously.

Fifteen feet above them, undetected in the boughs of a baobab tree, a dark shadow said in a smooth voice, "Well, thank the stars _that's_ over".

* * *

It was nearing dawn when the hyena hunting party crossed into the Elephant Graveyard. A sentry hyena perched on a rocky outcrop on the border stepped down to meet them.

"Hey. What's this Ridikill, no food?"

Ridikill didn't answer and marched straight past the sentry. His lieutenant Burudi stopped to briefly explain the night's events.

"Oh right. I guess you better go tell Shenzi and Banzai. They ain't gonna be pleased".

"Yeah, we know", Burudi muttered and headed off after Ridikill.

The other hyenas dispersed and headed for their own separate dens. The Elephant Graveyard always managed to look more or less the same despite the unstable geological conditions. Vents of steam suddenly shot up here and there, dark caves were littered with old bones and the mighty skeletons of giant elephants seemed even larger amongst the jagged rock walls and plateaus.

Ridikill and Burudi walked between erupting fissures and spouting geysers. Glinting eyes of other hyenas watched them go by from the shelter of ancient caves and manic cackling and whooping echoed off cavern walls. The pair paid no attention to any of these. In the greenish tint of the steam a large scar running down the left side of Burudi's face caught Ridikill's eye.

"How did you get that again?" he asked.

"Lioness slash about four years ago in the Outlands, remember? Anyway, you think Shenzi will send us out again in the afternoon or something?" Burundi wondered.

"I hope not", Ridikill grumbled, "There's more than enough hunting parties for them to send someone else out for a change. I'm tired and I want my sleep, garn!" he cursed angrily.

After a few minutes of walking they came to a cleared area with relatively few bones lying around. The rocky corridor ended in a spacious cavern with several large caves in the walls. They were the dens of the three highest-ranking hyenas.

"You'd better go", Ridikill said to Burudi. His scarred companion nodded and turned away.

Ridikill put his nose down low to the ground and called, "Oooooo-whup!"

Instantly there was a high-pitched squeal and an ungainly figure bounded out of one of the nearest caves. Ridikill turned to look at it and bowed. The other hyena grinned. It was a large male with a very undignified appearance. He had a messy mane and a few prominent wisps of hair on his forehead. His large ears were nicked with bites from…something.

The male opened his mouth and his tongue lolled out and drool dripped from his teeth. There was an absent look in his wild eyes. He suddenly laughed hysterically for seemingly absolutely no reason.

Ridkill did his best to keep his eyes level with the others', "Uh…hello Ed. Is Shenzi here?"

Ed answered by making a strange noise, "Aieeouu, ooh hahaha!" before laughing his unhinged laugh again.

Ed was a mystery to Ridikill and almost all of the other hyenas. He was one of the top three highest-ranking hyenas in the entire clan – yet he seemed mentally deficient. By all accounts he was a carefree lunatic.

"Hey, why you want to speak to _just_ Shenzi, buddy?" an angry voice called out from behind Ridikill.

Ridkill turned to see another big male emerge from a different cave. He had thick eyebrows and large ears. A vicious scowl was on his face.

"Uh…sorry Banzai", Ridikill replied, bowing quickly, "Guess I just forgot".

"Huh. Whatever. And will you please stop bowing? Nobody else bothers. Except to the _wonderful_ Shenzi".

Ridkill looked at Banzai and Ed. They were two parts of the trio that ruled over the Elephant Graveyard Clan. In all other hyena clans Ridikill had heard of several females ruled, led by one or two supreme matriarchs. For some reason in this clan this trio ruled. With Shenzi that was logical as she was a powerful and smart female. Banzai was strong and tough but he was male, so although in most other clans he may have been a high-ranking male or mate to one of the matriarchs he really shouldn't have been one of the top ten leaders.

And Ed…Ed just made no sense. He couldn't talk, and he drooled and giggled insanely at all times. But the other hyenas rarely questioned the high positions of Banzai and Ed as they had been in charge for as long as most could remember and they just accepted their rule, even if it was Shenzi who did most of the talking for them. And at any rate, judging by their combat skills, neither Banzai nor Ed were hyenas it was wise for even a vicious hunter like Ridikill to make angry with insulting questions.

"They bow to _me_, Banzai, because they recognize natural authority when they see it", Shenzi said as she yawned and crept out of her cave.

Shenzi was someone the rest of the clan could recognize easily as a leader. She was a big female with a cool, calm intellect and a biting wit. Her voice and manner of speech was smooth and somewhat condescending. As Ridkill bowed before her she shook herself, quivering her drooping topknot of hair that grew from her thick mane. She smirked, showing her black lips, red gums and white teeth.

"Looks like you didn't manage to bring dinner home with you tonight, eh Ridikill?" she drawled, with her eyes half-closed as usual; it gave off the impression she didn't really care about much at all.

"Oh yeah!" Banzai snapped to attention, "Where's our meal, meathead?"

Ed laughed.

"Well, I ran into some complications", Ridikill began, not liking how awkward the trio made him feel when they were angry; he was used to barking orders to his hunting party, not being reproached by his superiors, "See, we came across some lion cubs out on their own. I thought we should try and take them".

"Did you bring _them_ back?" Shenzi asked, leaning on a rock pillar and scratching herself against it.

"Uh…no. They got away".

"Aww man! What's the use of you being a hunting chief if you can't bag a bunch of hairballs?" Banzai complained.

"Shut up", Shenzi snapped, thinking back to one or two occasions when her, Banzai and Ed had been unable to catch a certain little troublesome lion cub, "At any rate, their King Simba will know for sure we're back now".

After the defeat of Scar and the return of Simba the hyena clan had scattered across the Pride Lands, fleeing what they saw almost as the second coming of Mufasa, the dreaded Lion King. They had dispersed in all directions, wandering aimlessly but eventually forming their own little packs numbering anything from three to twenty individuals. Some had even struck out on their own.

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed had personally killed Scar along with some of their closest followers before heading north. They had returned to the Elephant Graveyard for a while before deciding to try their luck elsewhere, with the clan seemingly destroyed forever. They had been absent for the war between the Outlanders and the Pride Landers. During this time they had hunted in other lands and all they concluded was that all other hunting grounds paled in comparison to the Pride Lands. So they had returned to the Elephant Graveyard, picking up and recruiting more and more hyenas along the way until they had numbered about fifty.

After some months of hiding in the shadows and scavenging in the Graveyard the trio, who had reaffirmed their positions as clan leaders despite some controversy about their teaming up with Scar, had decided it was time to rebuild the clan back up to its old full strength. They had dispatched clan members north, south, east and west, sometimes going themselves, in an attempt to comb the lands and recruit old clan members and new ones. These had been very successful and the Elephant Graveyard clan was nearing its old strength again.

The major problem with more hyenas was a need for more food. Hence the recent incursions into the Pride Lands. Hunting expeditions had been sent to the barren lands to the north traditionally but now the leading trio was ordering trips to the south as well in an attempt to test the Pride Lands and see how much resistance they encountered.

"How did the cubs get away?" Shenzi asked Ridikill curiously.

"Well…" Ridikill was going to mention how the lion cubs had seemingly vanished in the gorge and then reappeared up an un-climbable acacia tree a few minutes later but he decided it didn't make him look very good so he decided to cut to the chase, "Some lionesses showed up and took us by surprise. They chased us away before we could kill any of them, but I had one of them in my mouth, if you can believe it! Garn!"

"Lionesses? Oh boy, they're on to us quick!" Banzai yelled angrily. He wasn't noted for his ability to say anything quietly.

"Don't shout bark-breath, I have a headache", Shenzi muttered as she rubbed one paw across her forehead wearily, "Anyway, it doesn't matter. We figured they'd be on alert after that kill you and your buddies stole from that cheetah, Ridikill".

Ridikill nodded. He remembered the sight of the cheetah walking away, head hanging low. It had made the gazelle taste that little bit juicier. Saliva hung from his mouth at the memory of it. Ed laughed even though he was drooling too.

Banzai sat down on his haunches, "Well, what happens now? Do we send out another hunting party to the Pride Lands tomorrow? Or will the lions be out in force looking for us?"

Shenzi shrugged her sloped shoulders, "I don't know. Unlike those lions we don't have the benefit of stupid little birdie and mole-rat scouts and whatever else they use as spies, those big, pushy…"

"And hairy!" Banzai interjected loudly.

"And stinky!" Shenzi grinned.

"And man are they…"

"Uuuuugly!" the pair of them said together and collapsed in peals of laughter along with Ed, apparently at some in-joke.

Ridikill stared, "Uh…"

"Oh, don't ask honey", Shenzi said, waving her paw dismissively, "Anyway, I guess you can have a rest tomorrow. We got another idea for how to deal with the lions for now".

"We do? Since when? What is it? Don't me and Ed get a say in this?" Banzai snapped.

"Nope", Shenzi said without missing a beat, "You can go and chow down if you want to, Ridikill. There should be some meat left on this waterbuck carcass that Gushu and her party dragged in a few hours ago from a few miles north, although I'd hurry up if I were you. It's in the feasting area".

Ridikill bowed, turned and left.

He kept his head high as he marched to the feasting area, a more open area than the rest of the Elephant Graveyard. Only fresh bones littered the floor – the hyenas kept this area clear of older carcasses. In the middle of the clearing about ten hyenas were crowded around the barely recognizable remains of a waterbuck.

Ridkill bounded forward and shoved his way to the kill, snarling and snapping at the other hyenas who grudgingly made way for him – Ridikill was within the top twenty highest-ranking hyenas. He sank his teeth into the scraps of fresh meat and chewed them up eagerly. The night may have been unsuccessful but it rarely took more than a meal to keep a hyena eager for retribution.

* * *

Midday on Pride Rock. Vitani lay dozing in a clearing, drifting in and out of sleep. Amaryllis padded in quietly and slumped down next to her, sighing. Vitani's eyes flicked wide open and she looked at Amaryllis.

"Hey Amy. Had a rough night?"

Amaryllis yawned, "Yeah, that's right. Some of the cubs sneaked away from Tenzer and Ryana and ran out into the plains. They ran into some hyenas. So did we eventually".

"Hyenas", Vitani growled in the back of her throat, "How many were there?"

The grey lioness shrugged, "I couldn't tell you. Two dozen or so, I suppose".

"Did you get into a fight?"

"Yup".

"Anyone hurt?"

"No. The cubs are all fine and we all got out okay. The hyenas must be a bit sore this morning though".

Vitani shook her head, "You have all the luck! We didn't see a single hyena on my hunt! Argh, what I wouldn't give for a chance to test my strength against a few of them!"

"There wasn't much fighting really. They had the cubs up a tree and were waiting for them to fall out. Nadhari's little son Kelt did, but he's okay. We got there in the nick of time. The hyenas ran pretty quick".

"But still! That's a lot more exciting than anything that's happened to me on any of my recent hunts. You go and join Kiara's hunt for one night and look what happens!"

Amaryllis smiled. Vitani had an unquenchable thirst for excitement, like her half-brother Kovu. All their lives they had desired to live in the bountiful Pride Lands. Now that they did they were content but somewhat restless. There was very little conflict for them to test their skills in. Kovu did have the luxury of other male lions to train and mock-fight with, but it was limited.

As for Amaryllis, she had endured a difficult few years before coming to Pride Rock. A lone lioness struggled to bring down typical prey animals and Amaryllis had found herself often scavenging or hunting down small, insufficient prey.

She had often come into conflict with other lions and hyenas, although she rarely stopped to fight them as injury to a lone hunter could very easily lead to death. Hunting in the Pride Rock group with no conflict was a luxury for her, one that she needed with Amabi to support now. She wasn't sure whether or not she was going to stay at Pride Rock for the rest of her life or just until Amabi could support himself, but that was a long way off for now.

"Anyway, I'm glad all the cubs are okay", Vitani was saying, "And I guess that little scuffle explains why there's no meat this morning. Hey, are you going to go and have a word with Tenzer and Ryana? After all, they were entrusted to look after the cubs and they messed up big time",

"I guess so", Amaryllis replied, "I kinda like those kids, but they need to be spoken to. We were lucky none of the cubs were killed last night".

"I'll do it", a voice said, and the two lionesses turned to see Kovu approaching with his mate Kiara behind him, "I'll talk to them", the male was saying, "From one young male to another, I can show that Tenzer kid some responsibility. Plus I can sympathize with him, being such a magnet to females myself".

Kiara, Vitani and Amaryllis all threw him sour looks. He grinned roguishly. Like most young males Kovu was a bit of a show-off, even if he was only joking. Kiara stepped forward and elbowed him viciously in the ribs. Kovu winced.

"You are _not_ a female magnet, okay dearie?" Kiara laughed, "The only female you have is me".

Kovu smiled sweetly, "And that's all I could ever want…"

"Oh, please no, spare me!" Vitani groaned in disgust as Amaryllis made gagging noises. The two of them turned and began to leave.

"What's the matter, sis?" Kovu called after Vitani, "Jealous you haven't found the love of your life yet?"

Vitani looked over her shoulder at her half-brother, "Oh please. If this is what falling in love does to you, I'm going to do everything in my power to never fall in love myself".

Amaryllis laughed, "Well said Vitani".

"Anyway, you can go ahead and talk to Tenzer and Ryana", Vitani said to Kovu, "The sooner the better".

The two lionesses wandered down one of the many winding paths of Pride Rock. On the way they ran into a few other lionesses and nodded in greeting. Vitani and Amaryllis had become fast friends when Amaryllis had first arrived in the Pride Lands. They shared a love of independence, hunting and playful cynicism. While Amaryllis was still not a particularly influential member of the pride her friendship with Vitani, the half-sister of the King's son-in-law, had somewhat elevated her standing.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to let your brother Kovu talk to Ryana and Tenzer? He's not exactly known for his subtlety", Amaryllis mused as they neared the foot of Pride Rock that opened out onto the plains.

"Oh he'll do fine", Vitani answered, "You're going soft on those two kids Amy. They need some sense talked into them".

"Tenzer's a good kid", replied Amaryllis.

"Uh-huh. But he still screwed up, regardless of how much Ryana may have distracted him. Kovu will give them a good talking-to. Let's just leave it at that".

Amaryllis nodded, "I guess you're right. Anyway, I'm heading out for a few hours".

"You are? Where? And what for?"

"I'm just going for a wander. I could do with clearing my head before I get some sleep. Like you said before I had a rough night. I won't be too long. Make sure Amabi's watched for me. He's likely to be a bit quiet, I really had to yell at him last night and this morning after what he got himself and everyone else into".

Vitani looked at her friend and nodded, "Okay, I'll watch Amabi for you. You okay?"

"Yup, I'm fine".

"Sure?"

Amaryllis turned and grinned at her friend, "Trust me Vitani, I'm fine. You know me. I just like to be on my own for a bit once in a while".

Vitani grinned back, "True enough. Not natural for us social creatures, Amy. You're becoming a real worry to everyone".

The grey lioness laughed and turned away, flicking Vitani's nose playfully with the tuft of her tail before stepping onto the soft grass and wandering away north.

* * *

Kovu poked his head into yet another cave of Pride Rock, "Where the heck are those two?" he muttered.

He wandered over to another set of catacombs and peered inside. Instantly a clawed paw swept out of the darkness, aiming for his eyes. Kovu's instincts kicked in and he leaped back. The claws slashed inches away from his face and a deep growl sounded from within the cave.

Kovu threw his head back and laughed, "Nice try".

Another male lion stepped out of the darkness, grinning, "Looks like your reaction times are slowing Kovu. I could have really smacked you there".

Kovu smirked, "Not if you move like that, Tumai".

The other lion grunted disdainfully and yawned, stretching his muscular body. His brown mane covered his big shoulders and he bared his canine teeth as a conscious show of his prowess. He had a somewhat sly sneer on his low snout as he looked at Kovu.

"So, I heard you say you were looking for someone. If you're after Timon and Pumbaa, I swear this time we don't have them. You should have seen the look on that meerkat's face when I surprised him last. Absolutely priceless".

Kovu frowned, "You've really got to stop teasing those two, you know".

"It's just a way to pass the time", another male lion said, stepping up from behind Tumai.

The male was young, although still perhaps a little older than Kovu. He looked somewhat meek compared to the other two lions but he was a big, strong specimen is his own right.

"Juvi", Kovu nodded to the lion in acknowledgment, "Have either of you two seen Tenzer or Ryana?"

"Ryana? That the young girl, always follows Tenzer around?" Tumai asked casually.

"Yeah, they're both in trouble. They were supposed to watch the cubs last night and a bunch of them went out and ran into some hyenas".

"Oh yeah, I heard about that", Juvi said.

"Yeah! They ran into a pack of hunting hyenas! Talk about luck!" Tumai flexed his claws as if he could imagine tearing at a hyena and actually testing his abilities in a real battle.

"Well, the two of them got to be held responsible anyway", Kovu went on, "And I'm gonna sort them out".

"You? Don't you think someone with a little more subtlety like me or Salama should handle this? You'll probably just yell at them", Juvi said sceptically. Salama was another male lion, somewhat elderly. As was typical of male lions Juvi didn't seen much further than other males for authority figures or companionship.

"Oh please. Give me some credit", Kovu said, a little put out that his cunning was being called into question, "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

Amaryllis wandered over the plains, her head down. A sea of animals roamed across the lush grass alongside her, scattered in herds and small groups. Massive elephants, striking zebras, comical wildebeest, graceful impala, stately topi, imposing cape buffalo, handsome giraffes, skittish Thompson's gazelle; all these and countless more roamed across the Pride Lands before the lioness.

The chatter of the herbivores went quiet when Amaryllis swished past them. Wary grazers turned to look at the lone lioness that was pacing her way through the long grass, slinking low to avoid attracting too much attention. However, the fact the herd animals had seen her at all reassured them she was not hunting today, and merely passing by at a respectful distance. They resumed their browsing once she moved on.

As Amaryllis walked she mused on life in the Pride Lands. At times it was a little crowded for her. She wondered as she had hundreds of times before how long she would stay in the Pride Lands. She could raise Amabi to adulthood and then leave him, happy and secure in Simba's Pride. Or she could leave sooner: Amabi was certainly happy enough as it was at Pride Rock.

Or she could just stay. Permanently. The idea was tempting. She had made some good friends during her stay so far and there were certainly no better hunting grounds that she could imagine.

She sighed as she wandered further north; she'd need to really think long and hard before she made a decision. It was all about what was best for Amabi. Was it right for him to be raised to adulthood by someone who wasn't even his biological mother? She couldn't say.

A splash to her right alerted her to a water source and a commotion. A group of Marabou storks took to the wing, croaking and screeching in protest about something. She decided to investigate, and also the heat of the day was making her thirsty and she wanted at least a few laps of water.

Upon approaching the source of the commotion, she discovered a water hole a few meters in diameter surrounded by sharp elephant grass. A secluded spot, and deserted. She eagerly stepped forward and stooped to lap water from the pool.

The water was cool and refreshing, and she lost her senses to it for a moment, but suddenly they jarred back, and she smelt something that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She tensed and looked in every direction, doing her best to remain silent.

"Get lost!" a voice barked.

Amaryllis swung about to see a hyena staring at her, standing between two elephant grass fronds. It was crouched in an aggressive posture, its tail was pricked up, and its lips were curled back in a threat display. A throaty growl came from the creature.

The lioness stared back, not sure what to do. Although she had wandered a little further north than she had intended, she was still in the Pride Lands, and so the hyena was an intruder. And it looked a fierce one too. Its teeth were sharp and thick, and its bristling mane added to its imposing outline. The powerful muscles of the carnivore were taught, ready to launch it into a vicious attack. As last night's encounter had shown no single hyena was a match for a lioness one-on-one, but this one looked oddly unafraid and at any rate in a fight it could still badly hurt her with those jaws

She weighed up her options. The hyena was an intruder and an enemy. She was within her rights to lunge and attack – go for the neck and end it all quickly. However she didn't feel particularly compelled to. Despite the desperate battle and near murder of her precious Amabi she didn't really think any animal, even hyenas, deserved death on sight.

Her adversary was still snarling in its throat, foaming at the mouth. She would have expected a lone hyena to run. Why it was standing its ground she couldn't determine.

She decided to take a chance, and cocked her head and peered at the hyena curiously, "Hello", she said amiably.

The hyena didn't flinch and just maintained the stance that plainly meant 'I'm going to tear you apart'.

She tried again, "What are you doing so far south?"

The manic snarling intensified.

Amaryllis sighed, "Okay, fine. What's your name?"

The hyena stopped growling and stared at her. It looked perplexed but judging by the way its lips were quivering it still seemed consumed with rage.

"None of your business!" it eventually roared.

"Alright, fine. My name's Amaryllis".

The hyena looked at her incredulously, "Like I care!"

Semi-consciously Amaryllis lied down in the foliage next to the waterhole. The savage threat display instantly resumed.

"What?" the lioness asked.

"I told you to get lost!" it snapped.

"You don't have the authority to do that. These are the Pride Lands. I'm a member of King Simba's pride. You're the intruder here".

"Oh, am I? Hahahaha!" it chuckled evilly, "Times are changing, my dear! I'm gonna go ahead and assume you haven't heard about what happened last night?"

Amaryllis' eyes narrowed, "The attack a bunch of you guys led on the Pride Lands?"

That provoked a nod, "Yeah. You should have been there, lioness. It was intense".

She tensed up, "I _was_ there".

The hyena peered closely at her, "I see. Well, I am the one who led the attack. I am Ridikill, a mighty hunting chief of the Elephant Graveyard Clan".

"Oh, that was you in charge, was it?" Amaryllis didn't know what do. Now she could directly link this hyena to the attack that nearly claimed the lives of a half a dozen of the pride's precious children it was tempting to attack.

Vitani would have done it. Kovu would have done it. Kiara…Amaryllis wasn't sure. She had really toughened up since Amaryllis had first met her, maturing fast, but she was still a gentle soul, like her mother Nala and father Simba. As for the other male lions in the pride…the hyena would have been either halfway back to the Graveyard or dead by now.

"Yes, that was me", Ridikill snorted arrogantly, "You lions sure weren't so proud last night, huh?"

"Oh yeah?" Amaryllis snapped, suddenly driven to anger by the cocky invader, "Last time I checked it was you guys who ran off with your tails between your legs".

"Garn!" the hyena spat and took a step forward, "You'll eat those words soon, I promise you! Now get lost! I like my privacy".

"Well, I do too", she shot back, "I just want a drink and then I'll be on my way".

"If we both like our privacy, then what are you doing here bothering me?"

"Like I said, I want to drink. Plus I saw those storks take to wing. Was that your work?"

Ridikill suddenly grinned foully, "That's right. Nearly had them too".

"Not much food on a stork".

"Not for a meat-picking lion", he grunted and bared his bone-crushing teeth.

Amaryllis decided to take another chance and stepped forward and put her muzzle to the pond and lapped up the water. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the hyena glaring venomously at her.

After a moment of deliberate, defiant drinking she raised her dripping muzzle and looked at Ridikill. Her instincts were starting to scream to her to attack, but with caution. She had once seen a hyena take a wildebeest leg bone in its jaws and reduce it to splinters in a single bite. The thought was quite unnerving.

"Are you going to hurry up and leave now?" Ridikill demanded.

"Who are you to tell me to go?" she challenged once more.

He shrugged, "I'm your enemy. And I've decided that this is _my_ drinking spot, therefore it's _enemy _territory. So either you go now or…it's war".

Amaryllis turned and walked away, subdued by the sheer ferocity of the hyena's threat. The smaller carnivore unnerved her. As she headed back towards Pride Rock she could hear him chuckling quietly to himself.


	5. Savagery

Author's note: I apologise for the comparatively long wait for the new chapter. Been busy here. But yeah, here it is. Once again I thank everyone for the very kind words and reviews. I hope you all enjoy this rather long chapter. Also, I decided to include a brief description of the non-movie characters so it'll be easier to remember who they are in the fic.

So yeah. Please continue to read and review, I intend to finish this story.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer, former loner

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Tenzer – Half-grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry

Mali – Adult male leopard

* * *

"And that's why everyone's mad at you two", Kovu finished.

Tenzer and Ryana looked at him. The former nodded slowly with his head down and eyes closed: Kovu's words had been clumsy but straight to the point. Tenzer could see where he had failed the pride.

The latter of the two youngsters had tears in her eyes. Kovu had made it clear that the blame had been laid equally on both of them, but she knew it was really her fault. Tenzer hadn't been interested in hanging out with her. She had kept nagging and nagging him to step outside and look at the stars with her. Finally he had relented. After an hour of her babbling away to him, they had returned to find half a dozen of their charges gone.

They had started a desperate, panicked search of the surrounding area. Tenzer hadn't said a word but Ryana knew he silently blamed her for distracting her when he was entrusted to look after the cubs. The fierce look in his eyes and the sullen glances…it was too much for her.

"But nobody was hurt, and that's the important thing", Kovu was saying, "But next time we might not be so lucky. So yeah, you two…"

Ryana turned and ran, doing her best to force back more tears that were threatening to run down her cheeks. Kovu shouted her name in surprise. She clenched her teeth and ran on, not knowing where she was heading, her head down and eyes shut firmly.

"Hey, what's with her?" Kovu turned to Tenzer.

"She's pretty emotional", Tenzer said indifferently, "Give her a few hours, she'll come running back".

"Oh, right", Kovu watched her go, "You sure? Shouldn't we go after her?

"I'm sure. She's a bit of a drama queen".

"Oh. Well, fair enough. I suppose you know her. She's annoying huh?"

"Very".

"Ah. Well, don't sweat it. A lot of girls her age are. You should be flattered by her attention", the bigger lion placed a paw patronizingly on Tenzer's head and ruffled his scruffy hair.

"Hmph", Tenzer grunted.

"Well, anyway, you think about what I said, okay? We can't have anyone letting the pride down, especially not in these dangerous times. Okay?"

Tenzer nodded and bowed, formal again, "Yes Prince Kovu. I am sorry".

"Don't sweat it, buddy", Kovu said over his shoulder as he headed back up a winding rock path. He got about thirty feet when three lionesses leaped out in front of him.

"Oh, _that_ was really subtle", Kiara scolded quietly, so Tenzer couldn't hear.

"Yeah, I thought I was pretty good…oh. You're being sarcastic, right?"

"Of course she is!" Aetti the huntress piped up, "That was about as subtle as an elephant on musth!"

"Well, what did I do wrong then?" Kovu asked, looking back and forth from Kiara, Vitani and Aetti.

"'That's why everyone's mad at you two?'" Vitani sneered, "Why didn't you just go ahead and slash them across the face?"

"Hey, it wasn't that bad!"

"Are you kidding?" Kiara said incredulously, "Ryana ran off in tears!"

"She's an emotional girl! Or at least that's what Tenzer told me".

"_All _girls are emotional! Jeez, why can't you males see that?" Kiara groaned.

"Oh come on, not all girls are as weepy as you or Ryana", Kovu looked to Vitani, "You're sure not".

"Yes I am", his half-sister narrowed her eyes, "Maybe I don't show it often, but even I can feel...delicate. Trust me on this: all females are fragile".

* * *

"I'm gonna rip your heads off if you don't cut that out!" Shenzi snarled.

Ed and Banzai were writhing on the floor, snapping at each other. They ignored their leader and kept scuffling, kicking up the dust of the savannah. They rolled in the yellow grass of the Pride Lands, a whirlwind of teeth.

"I said knock it off!" Shenzi snapped and reached out with her forepaw to grab Ed by the nape of the neck and yank him off Banzai. Banzai got to his feet and glared at Ed, whilst Ed just squirmed in Shenzi's grasp and gnashed his teeth at Banzai.

"I told you, I have another headache! So, no fighting. I'm not in the mood to baby-sit you two".

"Baby-sit!" Banzai demanded angrily, "Don't look at me! He's the idiot who can't stop giggling. He kept scaring our lunch away!"

"Lunch", Shenzi snorted, "Don't give me that. You two were just looking for some entertainment".

"Food and fun are easy to confuse", Banzai grinned, a necklace of saliva hanging from his teeth.

"True", Shenzi smirked, releasing Ed, "But anyway, we need to keep quiet. I sent Agiza and her hunters west of here. I'm not risking sending a hunt further south today, not after what happened to Ridikill's party last night".

"Why did you drag us out here anyway? Any reason except food?" Banzai grumbled.

"Just one, honey. Us three are going south".

"I thought you didn't wanna go south and run into any lions?!"

"Not a hunting party. But just the three of us? No sweat. The King's little spies won't pay attention to us with Agiza's pack to the east, chasing down the wildebeest and scaring those morons to death. The stupid lions won't know we're here. And we, my dear Banzai and _dearer_ Ed, are gonna head south and do some spying and scouting of our own".

"Okay, so why are us three going, and not some of our goons? And what are we looking for?" Banzai cocked his head.

"_I'm _going because I'm the only one I trust to bring back reliable info. You two are here for the same reason you're always five steps behind me – I can't seem to shake you off.

"And we're looking for a few things. First of all, I wanna see just how rich the hunting grounds are: I ain't seen them for myself for a while now. Second, I wanna get an idea of just how strong Simba's pride is. And finally, it wouldn't hurt if we let Simba know the three of us are back. I'm sure he'll remember us. I mean, after all", Shenzi assumed her most flattering pose, head up and shoulders back, "Who wouldn't remember someone like me?"

"My mother could never remember your name, actually", Banzai reminisced thoughtfully, "My Dad neither".

Shenzi cuffed the dog hyena over the top of the head with her paw. He whimpered. Ed laughed.

"Shut up and let's get moving!" Shenzi barked, "I don't want any interruptions".

The trio picked themselves up and dusted themselves off. They headed south as the sun reached the highest point in the sky and cast noon shadows at their clawed feet. Passing an outcrop of flat rocks after a few minutes' march, Ed stopped and sniffed the air eagerly, panting eagerly.

"What is it, Ed?" Banzai asked, stopping to look back over his shoulder at the excited hyena.

"Aie-whoo, eheh, woo-hahahahah!" Ed slobbered.

"Really? Where?" Banzai whirled around.

Ed jabbed his paw in the direction of the rocky outcrop as he hopped from one hind leg to the other in exhilaration.

Banzai flashed his teeth, "Awesome! Whatcha say, Shenz, can we make a quick stop? I mean, you said we could grab a bite to eat on the way so…"

Shenzi looked at them with narrowed eyes, then she laughed and grinned a cruel grin, "Sure, why not. It'll be just like old times. On the count of three. Ready?"

The other two nodded eagerly and crouched.

"One…two…three!"

As one the hyenas leapt forward and bounded up the nearest flat rock. Clustered there in a group were a large band of hyraxes, little animals that looked basically like moving hairballs to the hyenas. They looked up at the trio of predators with tiny black eyes filled with terror, rooted to the spot for a moment. Then in the next instant the furry creatures panicked and darted back and forth across their rock outcrop home.

The hyenas whooped with glee and gave chase, driving the hyraxes into their boltholes. They snapped at them half-heartedly, pursuing their shrieking victims more for amusement than out of hunger. The sight of the wriggling little creatures scrambling for cover and the thrill of the chase was what they wanted they wanted more than anything else.

In a few brief, intense seconds of slamming jaws and squeaks of fear it was all over. None of the trio had managed to catch any hyraxes, although Banzai had a few tufts of fur in his teeth from one who had escaped death by literally millimetres. The hyenas rolled with laughter.

"Oh, that was priceless!" Shenzi hooted.

"Did you see the way their little legs scooted them off like that?!" Banzai said between bouts of chortling.

"Hoo-hahahahaha!" was all that could be gotten out of Ed.

"Oh man, it may not be that old meerkat colony we used to raid, but it was nearly as good!" Shenzi wiped away a tear of mirth from the corner of her eye as she stood up, "Come on, let's get a move on".

The trio walked away, chattering about how funny the sight of the squirming hyraxes leaping to safety had been between sporadic bursts of laughter. The hyraxes crept out of their rock tunnels and watched the hyenas head south intently.

* * *

"Oh come on, there's no reason to get Simba involved in this!" Kovu protested.

"There's plenty of reason", Kiara ignored him and kept marching up the rock path to Pride Rock's main caves.

Kovu kept pleading with Vitani, Kiara and Aetti as they sought out Simba, saying he would go and resolve the situation himself but they ignored him. These days Kovu practically lived and breathed for Simba's approval and he didn't want to let his father-in-law down, even though Kovu still couldn't really fathom why anyone would be mad at him for letting Ryana run off in tears.

Soon they found Simba sunning himself next to Nala, alone outside their cave. They were talking quietly to one another and smiling: obviously enjoying a tender moment alone. Aetti and Vitani hesitated to disturb them but Kiara sprang forward, surprising the King and Queen.

"Kiara! What are you doing here?" Nala exclaimed.

"Daddy, Mom, you got to help! Kovu yelled at Tenzer and Ryana for letting the cubs run off last night…".

"Hey, I didn't 'yell' at them!" Kovu said defensively, creeping into Simba's presence carefully.

Kiara ignored him, "…And Ryana got upset and ran off crying! Now she's out there all alone and upset".

"It doesn't help that that Tenzer kid is so insensitive towards her", Aetti added.

Simba stared at the lionesses. They seemed to be troubling him with what was basically idle gossip when he was trying to have a few minutes alone with Nala. He looked at Kovu, who was crouched submissively. Simba could sympathise with him. Females could be so intrusive and pushy at times, overreacting at any social 'crisis'…

"Dad! What are we going to do about Ryana?" Kiara demanded.

"Oh…um…well…I'd just calm down a bit, dear. I think you're overreacting".

"Simba!" Nala glared at him, "Don't be so insensitive! Ryana's a young lady and is still growing up! It would do her good for her to realize her pride cares about her now. You don't know what it's like for young girls growing up…"

Simba zoned out. As much as he loved Nala and all members of his Pride, there weren't many things he cared about less than the struggles of female adolescent hood. As Nala, Kiara, Vitani and Aetti took it in turns to lecture him, Simba managed to exchange a brief glance of exasperation with Kovu, who shrugged his shoulders and grinned helplessly.

"Simba? Simba! Are you listening?!" Nala shouted, jarring Simba back to the present.

With no idea of what the lionesses had just been saying or how long he'd been standing there phased out, Simba was grateful for a timely interruption:

"Simba! Simba!" a deep voice grunted.

The lions looked down the path to see Pumbaa the warthog scooting up the path towards them on his improbably nimble legs. Timon was perched on his back, clutching his shoulder-fur. Zazu was flying with them.

"Simba! Simba!" Pumbaa bellowed again.

"The correct term of address is 'Your Majesty', riff-raff!" Zazu exclaimed.

"Hey Simba", Timon leapt down from Pumbaa and approached the King, deliberately ignoring Zazu, "Zazu has bad news. Although I gotta say I've noticed that generally Zazu _is_ bad news".

Vitani sniggered.

"Hmph! Well, anyway", Zazu ruffled his tail feathers, "Sire, I'm afraid hyenas have entered the Pride Lands again".

The lions all found themselves tensing naturally, "What? Where?" Simba growled.

"To the north east, sire. A big hunting pack of about thirty is running down the wildebeest herd as we speak! They're causing havoc!"

"Oh no! Ryana's out there on her own!" Kiara yelped.

"Not to mention Amaryllis, though I wouldn't worry so much about her. She can take care of herself", Vitani added.

Simba leapt into action, "This time we're going to catch the hyenas in the act. Kovu and I are going to rally the other males and we'll head north as soon as we're ready. We'll drive the hyenas off".

"What about Ryana? What if the hyenas find her?" Aetti despaired, "She's only young!"

"She can't have gone far so soon. The hyenas won't have come this far south by now", Kovu replied.

"Come on, Kiara, Vitani, Aetti", Nala said, "Simba, you go round up the males. We'll go find Ryana and bring her back!"

"Okay, fine, but be careful. Let's go, Kovu!" Simba said and he and Kovu bounded down the path in the direction of the cave complexes to find the other males.

"Hold on Simba, we're coming wit' ya!" Pumbaa hollered and galloped after them, Timon clutching his tail and being dragged along too. With a sigh Zazu followed.

The lionesses sprinted down the descending path that led onto the plains, "Please be alright, Ryana!" Kiara pleaded.

* * *

Ryana threw herself down in the coarse grass and wept. She sobbed until her eyes were sore and red and her breath came in shuddering gasps. If anyone could see her she didn't care.

It was so humiliating. All she had tried to do was spent some quality time with Tenzer, her beautiful Tenzer…and disaster had struck. Someone could have been _killed_ because of her stupidity. She could still feel the burning shame and the anger of the Pride focused on her.

It hurt, but it hurt all the more because she knew that this wasn't going to help her get over Tenzer. She still adored him. His noble stance like a king-in-training, the way he fought, his fearsome roar, that scruffy mane, his dispassionate face, his cool demeanour, how he played with the cubs, how he…

How he…totally ignored her. She plunged her head into the dirt and bawled like a little cub. She knew it was pathetic. Just like her obsession with the young male…

But she couldn't help it. She'd always obsess over him now. She was enthralled to him. No matter how many seasons came, no matter how many times the grasses dried and withered under the sun and no matter how many times the rain came and soaked the soil…

A spot of moisture dripped onto her forehead. She started and wiped it with her paw and looked at it. Rain? No, it looked almost like…saliva.

"Ooh-hahahah!"

Ryana looked up. A hyena was staring at her, slobbering and making strange noises. It had drooled on her head.

She leapt up and backed away from it, not crying now, just terrified. She had never seen a hyena before. The creature craned its head to one side and laughed manically: its pink tongue protruded from its toothy jaws.

Ryana was stricken with pure panic. She had never really been in a dangerous situation before. She was only about half the size of the adult lionesses and had never been on a hunt. Her teeth had only been used to chew meat that was given to her; her claws only to flex and admire; her legs for padding around Pride Rock lazily in the shade.

The hyena was still a little smaller than her, but it seemed completely unafraid of her. It had, after all, wandered up to her when she was crying and stood over her, drooling.

She suddenly realized why it was dribbling. It wanted to eat her.

Ryana screamed and whirled about to run. She got about five steps when two more hyenas reared up out of the grass in front of her. She screamed again and staggered back helplessly towards the drooling hyena.

"What have you found here Ed?" one asked in a gruff voice, stepping forward.

"Looks to me like a poor little lost pining teenage lion. Doesn't get much lower than that.", the other said smoothly. The hyenas quickly positioned themselves: in a second they all stood equidistant from each other in a ring around the frightened young lioness.

Ed laughed and reared up proudly, pleased with himself.

"Can we afford to get…_distracted_ a second time Shenzi?" Banzai wondered.

"Oh I think so Banzai. We've had a good look at the herds and everything was even better than I expected".

"But you still wouldn't let us bag something for lunch", Banzai grumbled.

"For the last time, I didn't want to draw attention to us, okay? The herds were too alert today. But with a bit of luck Simba's on his way to deal with Agiza's hunting party by now. I told her to make as much of a commotion as possible so they can't miss her. We've got a bit of time to kill now, at least until Simba and his pals get close to Agiza's pack".

"Agiza and her pals are gonna have to run like crazy once they realize the lions are onto them, right?" Banzai grinned: his sadistic sense of humour extended to members of his own species as well.

Shenzi shook her head, although she didn't take her eyes off Ryana, "One of us is gonna run ahead of Simba now and make contact with Agiza. We'll tell her to come meet with us and then we'll head back together. The more of us that are together the better: for protection. With Simba out for revenge I don't want the three of us to get caught out here on our own. We're done here for today".

"I thought you wanted to see how big Simba's pride is?"

Shenzi smiled sweetly at Ryana, just subtly showing her teeth, "How many members of Simba's pride are there, sugar?"

"Seven adult males, twenty four adult lionesses, fifteen adolescents and cubs", Ryana found herself blurting out under the bitch hyena's spell of sweet-talk and terror, before she realized what she was saying, "Um…I mean…"

Banzai and Ed laughed hysterically while Shenzi cocked an eyebrow and grinned, "See? That was pretty efficient".

"Sure was", Banzai snorted with mirth, "By the way I gotta admit Shenz, you planned everything good today".

She looked at him, "What?"

"Well, ya know, sending Agiza off to distract Simba, us three sneaking in while he goes off on a wild-goose chase, tallying the herds, scouting the land…it worked out well".

There was a moment of silence before Shenzi said slowly, "You never compliment me on anything, Banzai".

"Well, I am today! Jeez, can't I say something nice for once?"

"Save your niceties for when we get back home safe! Now, anyway…" she turned her attention back to the quivering Ryana.

"Yes…anyway…" Banzai and Ed leaned in closer towards the lion, chuckling.

"What are you doing out here all alone, crying your eyes out dear?" Shenzi said.

"I…I…I…" Ryana gaped helplessly. She had been listening to the chatter of the hyenas in silent horror, praying for some miracle to save her because her own physical prowess wasn't going to. There had been no miracle.

"You must be hungry", Banzai declared, "That's the only thing that ever upsets me".

Ed nodded in firm agreement.

Shenzi placed a paw on Ryana's shaking shoulder in mock sympathy, "Honey child, please. Calm down. I know what's wrong. Love problems?"

For some reason Ryana found herself nodding as she stared wide-eyed at the hyena.

"Aww, ain't that cute. Brings a tear to my eye!" Banzai said teasingly.

Shenzi nodded as she looked at Ryana with mock severity, "My heart bleeds for you. Really. I feel your pain".

Ed pretended to wipe away imaginary tears while Banzai said, "Hey, all this talk of bleeding and pain is making me hungry!"

The two male hyenas sniggered evilly. Cold sweat streamed through Ryana's fur as Shenzi pulled their faces close together and whispered sardonically, "Don't worry, child. You haven't missed out on much. Trust me on this: males just ain't worth it".

Ryana's predator instincts kicked in at last. She shook herself free of Shenzi and bolted towards a shocked Banzai. The male hyena bared his teeth but she reached out with her paw and struck him hard. Her claws were sheathed but it knocked the hyena over and sent him rolling. She darted away just as Ed's teeth snapped together and tore off a piece of fur from the tuft of her tail.

Instantly Shenzi and Ed galloped after her. Banzai scrambled to his feet and snarled.

"I'm gonna get her for that!"

Shenzi stopped and looked back over her shoulder, "Uh-uh. Sorry Banzai, but you snooze - you lose. You go back and get Agiza and her pack".

"Me? Why me?!"

"Sorry Banzai, can't hear ya all the way over here", she smiled wickedly and galumphed after Ed and Ryana.

With a bitter grunt Banzai ran off back east, muttering to himself.

Ryana's moment of audacity was gone and she was submerged in dread again. Despite the fact she had never run at top speed in her life before she discovered she was surprisingly fast – she drew away from the hyena who was closest behind her, Ed.

However the two pursuing hyenas were deceptively fast too, and they had an advantage. Unlike lions the hyenas were not sprint-based hunters – they did not rely on short, sharp bursts of speed to run down their quarries. They were coursers, like Cape hunting dogs, instead pacing themselves to run at a more modest but still decent pace while conserving their energy. They would follow a fleeing victim for a very long time, sometimes even an hour or more, until it wore itself out and they would close in to finish off their tired prey.

It wasn't in Ryana's blood to pace herself. Her body was pushed to its limits in trying to pull away from her pursuers as quickly as possible and even as she looked back at the two hyenas she could feel the first pangs of exhaustion wrack her body.

* * *

Nala, Kiara, Vitani and Aetti sprinted through the long dry grass of the plains, startling some nearby African swallows. They ran on, silently praying for Ryana to be okay.

Before long they ran into Amaryllis who was heading back to Pride Rock after her encounter with the hyena Ridikill.

"Amy! Thank goodness you're alright!" Vitani leaped forward and nuzzled Amaryllis in a rare moment of tenderness.

"Uh…what's going on?" Amaryllis wondered.

"Have you seen Ryana?" Nala asked.

"Ryana? No, why? What's happened?"

"There's no time. We'll explain on the way. Come on!"

Amaryllis could see the desperation in the eyes of her fellow lionesses' and hear it in their voices. She nodded and bounded away with them. Vitani explained the situation to Amaryllis on the move.

"I see. Hyenas again huh? I just ran into one myself", Amaryllis said.

"Really? What happened?"

"I met him far north at a waterhole. A real psychopath. If all hyenas are as bad as him we can only hope Ryana's okay".

* * *

Ryana had been running for several minutes now, far longer than lions were used to. By luck or perhaps by some form of rational thought in the back of her mind that she'd failed to recognize, she had been heading in the direction of Pride Rock. But it wasn't going to do her much good now.

She was beginning to stumble. Her head was down and she was panting. She ached with fatigue. Sweat dripped into her eyes and blinded her. She was also vaguely aware that she was crying.

Her predator instincts told her to turn around and fight in one last glorious stand or maybe in the vain hope of driving her pursuers off. But the thought terrified her.

She looked up. Ed was level with her on her right and frighteningly close. The hyenas had caught up. Ryana had a clear view of Ed as he glowered at her. He wasn't laughing now. Drool hung from his stinking maw and deadly teeth and he sneered malevolently before opening his jaws wide and sinking his fangs into her flank.

Ryana screamed and staggered. The hyena held on grimly as she stumbled forward, dragging him with her. He used the weight of his body, anchored by his teeth, to drag her down. She slowed to a halt as blood drained from her side.

She felt a tremendous impact on her left shoulder. She saw Shenzi biting down on her and blood leaking from a gaping open wound. Shock kicked in and she could feel none of the pain as the hyenas tore at her ravaged body. She fell to the blood-soaked floor and lay in an unmoving, gaping heap.

Shenzi released the lioness, her muzzle red with blood, and looked at Ed, "Hehehe, nice catch Ed".

Ed nodded and giggled. He opened his jaws and spittle dripped from them.

Ryana shuddered and gasped. Her mind and body were numb. Suddenly she knew what it felt like to be one of the helpless antelope or zebra that the lionesses dragged home most nights to feed her and the others. All she could see from her bleary eyes were the feet of her tormenters and an improbably cheery sky and sun.

"Well, I guess we won't have time to eat her here or drag her back, but it was worth it. This can be our personal message to Simba", Ryana could dimly hear Shenzi saying, "Banzai's gonna be annoyed he missed out on the kill. Anyway, Ed honey, do the honours will ya?"

Ed nodded eagerly and grasped Ryana by the neck with his teeth. He was going to twist and break her neck.

"No!" a voice screamed.

Shenzi and Ed leapt back, yelping in surprise. Nala pounced and landed directly in front of the pair, roaring fiercely. Vitani was soon by her side. Kiara, Amaryllis and Aetti knelt down to examine Ryana.

"Uh-oh", Shenzi murmured under her breath.

"Oh, you poor thing!" Kiara exclaimed and nuzzled the barely conscious youngster, "What have they done to you?"

"Yes, _what did you do to her?_" Nala snarled, stepping forward. The hyenas took a step back.

"What does it look like?" Shenzi snapped, still unable to resist sarcasm despite how unhappy she was with the change of circumstance.

"Can you stand?" Amaryllis was asking Ryana.

Ryana couldn't answer. She started to choke and cough violently.

"Oh, please tell me she'll be alright! She will, won't she?" Kiara wailed.

Nala was torn between exacting revenge on the hyena culprits and tending to Ryana. After a moment of growling she walked over to the young lioness and examined her wounds while Vitani still kept the two enemies in her sights.

Nala peered down to look at the two bites. The injury to her flank wasn't as bad as it looked – the hyena had grabbed mostly fur and fat and while it had produced a lot of blood there was no deeper damage. Of course there was a danger of infection.

Ryana's shoulder, however, was badly torn. The teeth of the hyena had actually managed to punch into the bone. It was going to seriously restrict Ryana's movement and, more than likely, kill her.

"Mom? She'll be okay, right?" Kiara asked, tears in her eyes.

"Yes, darling. She'll be fine", Nala silently cursed herself for lying to her own daughter.

"You…you _monsters_…" Vitani snarled at the hyenas.

"_Monster_ is such a strong word…" Shenzi said hurriedly, backing away from the furious lioness.

Nala looked up suddenly, "I know you two!" she exclaimed.

Shenzi and Ed cocked their heads, "Huh?"

"You…you're the hyenas who Scar convinced to kill me and Simba in the Elephant Graveyard, aren't you? And then you and your other friend – the other male – you were Scar's main henchmen when he ruled the Pride Lands!"

"Oh, right, yeah", Shenzi said, daring to take her eyes off Vitani for a moment, "And you're Nala. The lioness who escaped and ran off to find Simba. Now you're his mate and Queen, yeah?"

"And you're…you're _Shenzi_", Nala nearly spat the name as it came to her memory, "The evil hyena female who acted as the main liaison between Scar and his followers".

"Evil? That's kinda harsh…"

"Evidence does not point to the contrary!" Vitani declared, gesturing to the helpless Ryana.

"Uhm…well, anyway, yeah. Shenzi, that's me. And this…" Shenzi grabbed the cowering Ed and dragged him in front of her to deflect some of the animosity from herself, "This is Ed. Our other pal was Banzai. And we're very flattered you remember us, for sure, but um…if you don't mind we'll just be…"

"You're not getting away!" Aetti suddenly roared and bounded forward. She slipped around the two hyenas and positioned herself so that the hyenas were trapped between Vitani and herself.

"Uhhh…." Ed gaped at the lioness and pressed himself up close to Shenzi, trying to hug her for comfort. She didn't resist.

"Look…let's…erm…let's just calm down a bit, shall we?" Shenzi babbled, "I'm sure we can work this out without resorting to violence".

Aetti and Vitani each took a step forward.

"Look, we all need to understand some of the fundamental differences between lions and hyenas, okay?" Shenzi tried to buy time desperately, "That way we can avoid unfortunate accidents like this. Uh…well, for a start, us hyenas, well…we get a little over-excited, it's true, but….uhm…"

Ed suddenly cocked an ear. He sniffed the air and laughed, then made some of his characteristic slobbering noises.

Shenzi looked at him and her face was split by a grin, "But yeah…the main difference between us hyenas and you lions is that…unlike you, we know the meaning of preparation".

"'Preparation?'" Nala echoed, puzzled at the sudden confidence boost of the two hyenas.

"Yeah. See, you came out here with just the five of you, no reinforcements. We got reinforcements, a back up. And here it comes now".

The lions looked in the direction she and Ed were staring. On the grassy hill behind Aetti, thirty or more hyenas stood silhouetted against the sky. As soon as the lionesses spotted them they cackled with savage glee. The lionesses started in surprise and horror and leapt back.

"Nice timing, Banzai!" Shenzi called, and then she turned to Nala, sneering triumphantly, "See, if you big dumb lion brutes were a bit smarter, you would know you can't hold us hyenas down for long. Unlike you, we'll always…_be prepared_".

The lionesses growled and bared their long canine teeth as the hyenas marched boldly towards them, howling with laughter. Hurriedly Amaryllis and Kiara stood on either side of Ryana. Banzai joined Shenzi and Ed at the head of the sniggering horde.

"You were quick", Shenzi said.

"Yeah", Banzai looked pleased with himself, "I can run when I want to. You owe me big time Shenzi".

"I don't owe you nothing", Shenzi snorted and placed her paw on his face and pushed him away casually, "Where's Agiza?"

"Here boss", a young female with a bright coat plodded up to her leader.

"How'd the hunt-joint-distraction go?"

As the two hyenas exchanged information Kiara and Amaryllis gasped in shock. Ryana was getting to her feet, shakily but surely, gritting her teeth in pain.

"Ryana! Don't strain yourself!" Kiara exclaimed.

Ryana didn't answer. The bleeding had stopped and she had regained her senses, but every time she moved a spasm of pain crashed through her body. She winced and barely stopped herself from screaming.

"…As a bonus, did you catch anything?" Shenzi was asking Agiza.

"Yeah, two wildebeest. Big fellas. I sent my fastest runner back to the Graveyard to call for some lads to drag the carcasses back. When we get home they'll be there waiting for us".

"Honey, you don't disappoint", Shenzi said and Agiza beamed under the clan leader's praise, "Anyway, now we'll deal with these lovely ladies and…uh…what?"

She stared. All the lionesses and hyenas followed her gaze to look at Ryana who had managed to lift her head upright and glare defiantly at her attackers.

"Woah, you two sure messed her up!" Banzai exclaimed, "But how can she stand with wounds like that?"

"I…don't know", Shenzi confessed.

"Uh?" Ed mumbled.

There was a moment of silence as the hyenas stared at the struggling Ryana. Nala looked at Vitani. She was crouched, ready to pounce and leap into the hyena pack and fight. Nala gently extended a paw in front of her to block her.

"Too many", she whispered.

"What? With all due respect, Queen Nala, we can take 'em…"

"No. Too many. Trust me on that. We're going to have to run".

"Ryana can't run in her condition!"

"Leave that to me", she raised her voice a little so all the lionesses could hear her, "When I tell you to move, we run south without stopping for anything. Okay?"

Before any of the lionesses could reply Banzai snapped, "What are you whispering about?!"

"Ah, who cares", Shenzi shrugged, "Let's just kill 'em".

She took a step forward.

"Move!" Nala yelled.

Immediately all the lionesses wheeled about and ran. Except two. Ryana staggered a little and tried to turn. And Vitani snarled for a moment, staring down the hyenas. Nala leapt towards Ryana and slid her strong body underneath the wounded youngster, hoisting her across her back, her head hanging down one side and her hind legs and tail down the other. Ryana was either too shocked or too weak to protest.

Nala glanced behind her, "Vitani, move!"

As she did the hyenas charged, enheartened by the sight of their mortal enemies, the lions, taking flight before them. Vitani waited a moment longer, loathing the idea of running, but she suddenly flinched as the hyenas seemed to become a veritable avalanche of gnashing teeth crashing down towards her. She span about and ran.

Initially the lionesses sprinted ahead as their instincts told them too. Nala, slowed under the weight of Ryana, called to them.

"No! Pace yourselves. Run fast enough to get ahead of them but don't exert yourselves or they'll catch us after a while!"

Nala knew she was kidding herself. The hyenas were going to catch them, regardless of how they ran. And when the hyenas caught them they would be killed. Messily. Hyenas, unlike lions and leopards, weren't known for their ability to make a clean kill when attacking something larger than themselves.

But at least by pacing themselves the lionesses could deny the hyenas their prize for a little while longer. Although it wasn't going to be very long. Ryana was still only half-grown but she was well fed and fit, and as such quite heavy. Nala was powerful but the extra weight was slowing her down and wearing her out fast. Every time she took a step Ryana bounced on her back and then fell back down heavily, winding Nala every time.

"Can't keep that up forever, can ya?!" a gruff voice mocked. It was Banzai. The hyenas were closer on their heels than even Nala had realized.

Whether Ryana had fallen back into unconsciousness or not Nala couldn't tell, but she had stopped moving. Her flanks were soaked with blood from the youngster's fur. The minutes passed. The hyenas were bulldozering on ahead with no sign of flagging. The lionesses were tiring rapidly. Pride Rock was still depressingly far away.

"We're not going to make it!" Aetti suddenly wailed up ahead, "We're not going to get out of this, are we?!"

The other lionesses didn't reply.

"Ooh hehehe, oohahaha!" Ed cackled. He was enjoying himself as he honed in on the lagging Nala. Shenzi, Banzai and some of the other fastest runners were just behind him.

Kiara looked back over her shoulder, "Mom!"

Ed reared up behind Nala, slobbering eagerly. He opened his jaws wide and lunged at Nala's rump.

Kiara ran back and with lightning speed struck Ed with her paw, claws out. Ed yelped and fell. The hyenas ran past and over him, ignoring him as he rolled to his feet and resumed the chase like nothing had happened.

"What's wrong with them?" Kiara gasped before taking to heel again just as Banzai and Agiza snapped their jaws at her, missing narrowly.

There was something profoundly disturbing about the hyenas, Kiara decided in some distant corner of her mind even as she ran for her life. The hyenas seemed informal, maybe even comical, when they talked to one another, bickering and mocking each other. They didn't appear to take anything very seriously. But as soon as they started hunting they seemed possessed of alarming ferocity and drive, utterly obsessed with finding flesh to sink their teeth into. And their sense of humour took on a whole new light; sadistic and twisted.

The lionesses kept running. Up ahead there loomed an area of dense scrubland. Amaryllis, in the lead, made straight for it in the hope that maybe they could lose the hyenas in there. The other lionesses saw the faint hope and made one last effort to drive themselves on, away from the teeth of their enemy.

Shenzi looked up and saw their plan, "Everyone stay together!" she barked, "No splitting up unless I say so. That's what they want – to separate us and slip away when we're divided. Everyone just follow the one in front of you!"

Her followers whooped their agreement. Already the scrubland up ahead was looming close. In a few seconds dead acacia trees and thorn bushes were flying by as the lions darted between the dry vegetation, weaving back and forth to confuse their pursuers. The hyenas were close behind them, surprisingly nimble and gaining on the weary lionesses.

Shenzi was grinding her teeth in anticipation. The chase itself was effortless for her now – a combination of her ancestor's instincts and her training guided her. Dodge left, dodge right, duck under that branch, leap over that fallen trunk…it was automatic. She was simply enjoying the sight of the ever-slowing lionesses fleeing up ahead, casting fearful glances back at her and her comrades.

Shenzi loved hunting, but the fact that this time they were hunting the hyenas' worst enemies and utterly humbling them was making it all the sweeter. Really she knew they should have left for the Graveyard by now but she knew her pack certainly wouldn't begrudge her for a chance to kill six lionesses, including the Queen of the Pride Lands. She could almost taste Nala's royal blood.

The chase was winding down. Banzai and Ed, fast runners both, were by her side again at the head of the snarling, whooping column of hunters. Nala was staggering now but still she refused to drop Ryana – instead the Queen was almost literally dragging herself down the winding paths in between the acacia trees.

_Idiot_, Shenzi cursed mentally. She had known Nala rather well during Scar's reign over the Pride Land – Shenzi had been put in charge of organizing the lioness hunting parties and Nala had been one of the most outspoken of the lions against Scar's rule. Shenzi had had to tell her to keep her mouth shut on many occasions. The hyena had somewhat admired her in a way – the lioness wasn't afraid of either Scar or his hyena henchmen. After all, as Nala had said herself defiantly to Shenzi once all they could do in the worst scenario was kill her. And she didn't fear death.

That seemed to ring true even now. Nala seemed the least panicked of the pursued lionesses. What was going through her mind Shenzi couldn't tell. It wouldn't matter for much longer. She was now within about five feet of Nala's heels.

The lionesses turned a sharp corner in the game path through the thicket and disappeared from sight. A split second later the hyenas rounded the same bend, cackling sadistically.

In the lead, Shenzi leapt forward, "_Now _we've got you!" she snarled…

…And found herself face to face with Simba and seven other adult male lions.

"True as you tell it", Simba said urbanely, "But what are you going to do with us?"

Behind him, the angry male lions growled and stepped forward, unsheathing their claws and baring their teeth.

Shenzi turned and ran.


	6. Retribution

Author's notes: Hehe, not much new to say. But once again thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. It's really encouraging to know that there's people out there enjoying my stuff. Makes it all worthwhile. Been very busy here ya see, one of the main reasons because my Mam found an abandoned terrier puppy by the side of the road, and I've adopted her and it's hard looking after her. Reason I'm mentioning this? Her name is now Shenzi. Hehe.

Anyway, I'm not too happy with some of this chapter. I think the beginning of it is some of my best writing, but it really loses momentum later on. As I'm sure everyone's realized I'm really a hyena fan, despite the fact that they didn't appear to be really characters in the first few chapters, just anonymous enemies (did that on purpose, you see).

So yeah, a lot of the lion scenes really drag compared to the hyena ones. So please let me know what you think about the pacing and dialogue, or rather lack thereof in the case of the lions.

Many thanks. Here's the character list again.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer, former loner

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry

Mali – Adult male leopard

* * *

The male lions charged into the hyenas. In the narrow paths between the thorny bushes the hyenas were packed closely together. Simba led the way, plunging into the ranks of panicked pack hunters while his followers crashed forward behind him, their battle roars filling the hyenas with terror.

Striking with their massive paws and biting with their long canine teeth, the lions cut a bloody path in the hyena ranks. The bewildered hyenas were too confused, too terrified and pressed up too tight to either fight back or run for a moment except for a lucky few. The lions took full advantage of this and cut into press of hyenas like a mamba's fang into flesh.

Each of the male lions was distinctive. Kovu was a powerhouse of energy, enthusiasm and stamina. Tumai was a sly-looking individual but with power and a ruthless edge to back it up. Salama was a world-weary elder always willing to pass on words of wisdom. Juvi was normally a timid youngster who generally kept his opinions to himself in the hustle and bustle of the pride's social life. Haya was a pleasant individual who was always eager to please others. Lokanneoro, like his son Tenzer, was a somewhat solitary and powerful creature. Madari was a handsome young creature, and he knew it. But now in battle there was little to distinguish them – they were all hammers of muscle and teeth crashing down on their enemy and crushing them.

But it was Simba who really terrified the hyenas. The blood of the Kings ran true in his veins and the hammer-hard blows of his paws sent hyenas tumbling through the air, landing in crumpled heaps. His eyes blazed with furry and all the rage of his ancestors seemed to come alive in his voice as his roar pierced the air. The hyenas hadn't known such terror since the heyday of Mufasa.

Behind the attacking lions, the exhausted lionesses collapsed and could only watch the fight with weary eyes. Vitani tried to stand up and join the fight, desperate for revenge, but Amaryllis restrained her. Tenzer was there too, staring in horror at the wreckage that was Ryana.

Kovu slashed at one hyena with his claws, all but ripping its head off. Tumai pounced on one and knocked it to the ground before sinking his fangs into its throat. Salama bit down on one's spine, splitting the vertebrae and killing it instantly. The hyenas hollered and screamed in fear as they finally managed to turn around and run.

"Okay, that's enough! They've had enough! Let them go!" Simba shouted.

Kovu overturned one hyena by swiping at its feet with his paw. He bit deeply into its stomach. Juvi ran after one fleeing hyena and tackled it to the floor, mauling it to death as he did so.

"Enough!" Simba roared again.

Lokanneoro took a hyena's skull between his teeth and bit into it savagely.

"I said _enough_!"

The remaining hyenas ran. The lions watched them go.

Simba surveyed the battlefield. Many dead hyenas, most in gruesome states, littered the floor. The ground was dark with their blood. The worst injury the lions had sustained was a glancing bite Haya had taken to the shoulder by one hyena that had struggled to get free from him before he tore it apart.

There was a moment of silence as the lions looked at their handiwork with mixed feelings.

"That'll teach them", Tumai said and snorted.

Simba turned away from the grisly sight and approached the lionesses.

"Are you alright?" he said to Nala, unable to speak in more than a whisper now despite his earth-shattering roars moments ago.

"I'm fine. Help Ryana", Nala panted.

"What…what did they do to her?" Tenzer muttered, looking at Ryana's gaping shoulder wound.

"We need to get her home. Quickly but carefully", Simba looked at the other lionesses, "Are you okay to walk home?"

They all nodded, getting to their feet.

"All right, but don't strain yourselves", Simba soothed.

He knelt down and as gently as possible picked up the unconscious Ryana in his jaws and with the help of Kovu and Salama delicately placed her on his back. At a painstakingly slow pace the lions set off for Pride Rock.

* * *

The surviving hyenas were still running. They were heading north without really realizing it; their instincts guiding them back home to security and comfort. Banzai was at the head of the group. He stopped and looked back.

"Okay, everyone, take a break! Everyone sit down and cool it! They're not coming after us". The pack obeyed, desperate for rest.

Almost all were hurt in one way or another. Some bore savage scars, others bruises from hard slaps of lion paws, some bore deep bites, others were limping. Banzai himself was nursing a scrape across his rump.

The pack was slumped down in a sorry mess. Some were weeping and others were just staring blankly ahead. Some buried their heads in their paws and shuddered, others licked the wounds of themselves and each other, trying to occupy their minds.

It hit Banzai like a lightning bolt. Shenzi! Ed! He hadn't seen them in the crowd. Panic gripped him as he frantically searched through the huddled pack, looking for them.

"Shenzi! Ed!" he shouted over the crying and sobbing.

There was no answer. Banzai felt dizzy; the world seemed to ditch and roll before him.

"Shenzi! Ed! Where are you guys?!"

A muffled but familiar whimper came from one corner of the mass of cowering hyenas. Banzai hurriedly made his way over. Ed looked up at him with big, frightened eyes. His face was covered with blood, but whether it was his or not Banzai couldn't tell.

"Ed! Are you okay, man? You don't look so good".

Ed nodded slowly. He was shivering.

"Are you hurt?"

Ed shook his head. Banzai peered closer to look at the blood. He couldn't see any wounds – it looked more like the blood had splattered on his face from someone else. Disturbing for him. But at least he was all right. Banzai licked him gently on the top of the head. Ed smiled slightly.

"Listen, man, have you seen Shenzi?" Banzai asked.

Ed's eyes went even wider. He shook his head and swallowed hard. He looked horrified.

"Stay here, buddy. I won't come back until I found her, I promise", Banzai said quietly and gave the frightened hyena another lick on the forehead.

Banzai searched through the pack again with a heavy heart. He knew Shenzi well – she was a good leader and commander. If she were still alive she'd have taken control of the retreat. He was going to fulfill his promise to Ed of finding her but he had a horrible feeling that was going to involve walking back to the scrub and hauling her lifeless body to him.

Still, he wasn't going to give up that easily. He realized, distantly, that he had tears running down his face. He hadn't cried for years. Banzai wasn't one for revealing deep emotions often. But now his legs felt weak and he could feel the hot tears in his eyes.

Suddenly he saw her. She was sitting on her haunches at the edge of the group, facing away from him. He dashed over to her.

"Shenzi! Shenzi! Oh, you're all right! Thank God, Shenz!"

She didn't move or respond. He looked at her. There wasn't any visible damage to her body: no blood or cuts anywhere. He tried to look at her face but she turned away suddenly.

"Shenz? Are you okay?"

She didn't answer.

Banzai took a deep breath, "Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena, look at me". Shenzi hated her full name and commonly savagely attacked any one who used it. Banzai waited for her to respond.

Slowly she turned to face him. Banzai gasped. She had a big black bruise over her right eye, which was bloodshot and swollen but that wasn't what shocked Banzai. She looked pained, staring up at Banzai helplessly with eyes that seemed to belong to a frightened cub rather than to a fierce clan leader. Shenzi just stared at him, unblinking with such a haunted expression on her normally proud features that Banzai nearly started crying again.

Instead he did what he always did in upsetting situations: he tried to joke, "Hey, nice shiner you got on that eye there. You got off better than me anyway. Take a look at my butt, hahaha!"

Shenzi still didn't answer. She did blink though and slowly she looked around at her sorry clan members, surveying them all carefully. She said something quietly in a hoarse whisper.

"What?" Banzai asked, leaning in closer.

"How many did we lose?" Shenzi croaked a little louder.

"Oh. Oh…um…" Banzai did a quick head count. There were twenty-one assembled here. When he had led Agiza and her troops to Shenzi's and Ed's assistance she had told him there were exactly thirty in her pack, but she had sent one back to tell the clan members back home to help move the wildebeest they'd killed. With the trio of clan leaders, that made thirty-two hyenas in total. So, with twenty-one left…

"We lost eleven".

Shenzi closed her eyes and swallowed, "Is…is Ed…?"

"Ed's fine. You're fine. I'm fine. Let's just go home for now, yeah?"

She nodded, eyes still closed, "Yeah. You're right. Could you help me up?"

"Sure", he said, deeply disturbed to see Shenzi so weak. He knelt down and offered his body as a support for her to lean on as she got shakily to her feet.

"Thanks".

"No sweat", he leaned over and licked her on the forehead, an act of tenderness he rarely showed and even then usually only to Ed. Shenzi didn't need comforting often.

She smiled weakly and tottered forward. Immediately Banzai went to her side and she leaned on him heavily. He helped her over to Ed. The cowering dog hyena looked up and grinned happily.

"Told ya I'd find her", Banzai chuckled and he helped Ed to his feet as he had done for Shenzi.

Shenzi was looking around, "Banzai, what are we doing stopping here?"

"I figured everyone needed a few minutes".

"We can't stop here. They could be following us".

"I know, but it's not likely, right? Besides, we needed to catch out breath".

"Uh-huh. But we need to get back home now. Quickly", she suddenly straightened up and looked more like the clan leader she was rather than a bewildered cub, although she was still a husk compared to her normal self, "Okay, listen up everyone. We gotta get home. I know we all need a rest but we really can't stop here. It's too risky. So everyone on your feet and we'll be home soon. There's food waiting for us".

Slowly the hyenas got up, mumbling and still crying. They began to shuffle north, some still casting wary glances back south. Ed moved to the head of the column. Banzai was going to follow but Shenzi placed a paw on his shoulder and held him back.

"What?" he asked, bewildered.

"Thank you, Banzai", she whispered.

Without another word she marched over to join Ed. Banzai watched her go.

"Uh…no sweat", he said quietly, then went over to join his two companions.

* * *

The lions walked home together. Evening was drawing in and the sky was tinted red as the sun slipped behind the horizon. The colour of the sky reminded Simba too much of the blood they'd spilled that day.

As they walked the lions told each other what had happened. The lionesses had wanted to know how the male lions knew that the hyenas had left the eastern plains to pursue them. As Simba explained after he and Kovu had rallied all of the male lions they had indeed originally dashed off east to confront where they had been told the thirty hyenas were chasing down the wildebeest herd.

However halfway there they'd been interrupted by a band of little hyraxes. The little animals had trotted over and eagerly told Simba that their group had been tormented by three hyenas, whom they'd later seen chasing a lone half-grown lioness to the south. Later still thirty more hyenas had run past at top speed, following the scent the original three had taken. The hyraxes had set the grateful lions on the right path to find the hyenas and bring them to justice.

It was funny. Those little hyraxes had indirectly saved the lives of the Queen and many other lionesses. Just demonstrated that anyone could make a difference.

The male lions were talking again amongst each other, "Well, we sure proved ourselves in that battle", Juvi said.

"Proved ourselves?" Maradi smirked, "We kicked hyena butt!"

"Yeah. They'll think twice before they stick their ugly noses in around here, eh Kovu?" Tumai grinned.

Kovu didn't answer. He looked somewhat pensive. Simba suspected that, like himself, he wasn't proud of his actions during the skirmish. However Simba had controlled himself well in the battle – his blows had only knocked the hyenas away, frightening them and winding them but not injuring seriously. Except for one. One hyena had been unlucky and as Simba had struck out with his paws he caught it at the wrong angle and hit with too much force. He had broken its neck.

But that was an accident. Overall Simba had shown reserve in fighting the hyenas. The other males hadn't. They had all enjoyed the thrill of the fight. Although it wasn't much of a fight. As soon as the hyenas had seen the tide of the battle had turned yet again they hadn't wanted to do anything except get out of there.

The other males, Kovu included, had torn into them with the joy of battle, adrenaline-fueled ferocity that was heightened by their natural desire to protect the lionesses. Simba had called for them to stop and they hadn't. But he couldn't really blame them. The hyenas would certainly have done the same to them if the tables had turned.

Nonetheless the entire event had been very disheartening for Simba. Despite everything he still didn't believe the hyenas were evil – not really. The other lions thought they were, but if you'd asked a hyena it'd probably say lions were evil. Each side needed to believe the other side was evil. It made killing them a lot easier. Simba didn't have that simple luxury.

If there was one thing that Simba had learned during the war between the Pride Landers and the Outlanders it was that no creature was truly evil. The Outlanders certainly weren't; they were just hungry and dejected. And even Zira had been driven into murderous hatred due to her love of Scar.

Scar had been close to pure evil. He had been willing to murder his own brother and his nephew in order to secure his grasp on power. However, from what Simba's mother Sarabi had told him before she succumbed to old age, Scar had led a difficult life himself, always in the shadow of Mufasa, never able to fully realize his potential unless it was through malice. He was a disturbed individual. It was tragic that nothing could be done to redeem him.

As for the hyenas…even during the Battle for Pride Rock Simba hadn't really thought of the hyenas as evil. He'd always assumed they were tools of Scar, persuaded to surrender to the crueler aspects of their nature by his manipulation.

But now he had seen hyenas act on their own against his pride. He wasn't an expert in wounds and healing but offhand he didn't think Ryana was going to survive. A young girl who had yet to live her life had had her life cut brutally short. The hyenas only reacted with sadistic joy to the wounds they had inflicted, judging from Nala's account. While Simba knew the hyenas weren't really evil and despite the remorse he felt for the killings he could feel the dark temptation within him to just…not care and label the hyenas as wicked, foul creatures.

"Simba?" Kovu asked quietly, appearing by his side.

"Yes Kovu?"

"Are you…are you mad with me?"

"What for?"

"For how I attacked the hyenas. You said to stop and I didn't. None of us did. Not for a while".

Simba shook his head, "No Kovu. You're not to blame. What you did was only natural".

They walked on in silence. The evening chorus of birds and beasts had started. Not far away the lions could hear hippos grunting as they made their way out of the river for a night of browsing. In the distance they could make out the majestic shadows of a group of giraffes towering over the savannah.

Tenzer walked with his head down. He'd joined Simba's group of males when he learned Ryana was at risk from hyenas. He was feeling incredibly guilty for Ryana's demise. He wasn't sure what her chances for survival were but he had a feeling they weren't good. Although the attack wasn't directly his fault, he knew he could have been more sensitive to Ryana when she ran off in tears. He felt it was his duty to tell Ryana's mother. He was dreading it.

Kiara was crying quietly. She was still a young, fairly naïve lioness. Although she had witnessed the final brutal battle between the Pride Landers and the Outlanders it had ended abruptly and there was nowhere near the level of carnage she had witnessed today. Kovu nuzzled her gently, reassuringly.

Some of the male lions were still somewhat excited about the fight. Tumai was grinning and Juvi and Haya seemed restless now that he'd participated in his first real battle. Madari was preening himself and strutting somewhat. Salama and Lokanneoro were quiet again. Lokanneoro walked side by side with his son, uncertain what to say.

With a loud flutter Zazu suddenly appeared in front of Simba, "Sire! Thank goodness you're all right! I…oh" he had caught sight of Ryana on Simba's back.

"Zazu, fly home and tell everyone we're going to need all the help we can get in making Ryana comfortable. Tell the lionesses to make sure there's fresh water, a comfortable bed and at least some food for her when we get back there", Simba said quickly.

"Yes sire, at once!" without a further word Zazu took off and headed for Pride Rock.

"You have to hand it to him", Nala said quietly, "He knows when to keep his beak shut for a change".

Simba nodded, "Yeah. My father kept him close for a reason".

Thinking of his father made Simba bow his head. What would he say now to Simba? His kingdom was basically under attack from a determined enemy. One young, innocent member of his pride had been mauled. Simba couldn't bring himself to look up and face the stars that were just starting to twinkle in the darkening sky.

* * *

"I'm starvin'!" Ridikill snarled, "I ain't had nothing but some maggoty waterbuck for two stinking days!"

"Yeah! Why can't we have some fresh meat?" Groco spat.

Several hyenas were sitting in a ring around two wildebeest carcasses. Ridikill and a number of his followers were facing them. They were deep in the Elephant Graveyard, where smoke tinted the cliff walls green and geysers spouted loudly and without warning.

"They are not for eating!" a bold female hyena hunting chief perched on one of the carcasses growled at Groco.

"Garn! What are they for then?" Ridikill snapped. His followers laughed harshly.

The female hyena, called Shungi, counted Ridikill's pack. There were just under twenty of them. Her own pack, which had been sent out to drag back the wildebeest carcasses Agiza's hunt killed, barely numbered fifteen. Shungi had strict orders from Agiza's runner to make sure no-one touched the wildebeest meat until Shenzi and Agiza came back. But Ridikill's gang was hungry and also aggressive, a little ashamed at losing the lion cubs a few nights ago. They were eager to prove themselves in a fight and Shungi knew it was a fight her pack couldn't win.

"This meat is for Shenzi and her pack! And they get it whole and unspoiled!" Shungi snapped. As a hunting pack's leader she was a rival to Ridikill and was determined not to be intimidated by him or his gang. Also, her younger brother was a new member of Agiza's pack: today had been his first hunt and Shungi was very proud of the first kill he'd been involved in and was eager to defend it.

"Oh", Ridikill glowered. As savage as he was he wasn't going to defy Shenzi, Banzai and Ed…at least not yet.

"Oh come on! They're not gonna eat _all_ that meat! Let's have a bit!" Groco squealed.

"No, just let it go", Ridikill grumbled, "Maybe there'll be some scraps left when Shenzi and Agiza's lads are done with them".

"Probably best", Burudi grunted and turned away.

"Argh! I'm hungry now!" the hungriest hyena called Babaka, the individual who had first discovered the cubs the other day, shouted, "Carve 'em up and let me have a mouthful! Who cares what Shenzi and Banzai and that idiot little friend they keep around with them says!"

"You'd best watch what you say", one of Shungi's pack answered, "I hear Ed's nasty when he gets into a scrap. You think he got those cuts in his ears by being a coward?"

"Hah! I bet he chewed them out himself, he's so dumb!"

"I'd keep your mouth shut", Ridikill hissed, "He's right, you don't wanna fight Ed. He's every bit as tough as Shenzi and Banzai. When he wants to be. Anyway, forget this. Let's get going".

Ridikill stood up and left. His sensible lieutenant Burudi followed immediately. Sooner or later all of his hunting party followed him, grumbling.

Shungi heaved a sigh of relief, "That's lucky. That Ridikill's a psycho".

"How'd he ever get so high-ranking if he's such a head case?" one of her followers asked.

"Dunno. Shenzi likes 'im. Says she saves him for the hunts that need ruthlessness. He's a tough one, for sure. But he listens to her, and Banzai and Ed too".

She looked up as she saw shadows of many hyenas approaching. From around the corner the pack led by the clan leader trio loped in. Shungi stared. Something was wrong. The leading trio had their heads down. Ed's facial fur was tangled with dry blood; Shenzi had a large bruise over her eye. Banzai was scarred across the rump.

In fact all of the hyenas were injured in similar ways. Some were limping painfully. All nursed some form of wound as they walked silently in. Many of them had the bloodshot eyes of someone who had been crying a lot recently.

Shungi leapt off the carcass and took a step towards Shenzi, "Uh…hi boss. Are…are you okay?"

Suddenly Shungi realized something else was wrong. There were supposed to be thirty hyenas in Agiza's pack. There were barely twenty hyenas here! Had they been left behind or sent out on another mission?

Shenzi looked up at Shungi blankly, "I'm okay. We need to eat. You mind?"

"Uh…of course not", Shungi was worried. Shenzi never asked for anything: she just took. What was going on? "So…where's the rest of Agiza's pack? They still out there?"

Shenzi quickly looked away and slinked over to the wildebeest carcass with her tail between her legs and her ears down. Shungi's heart skipped a beat. What had happened? She began to look frantically through the arriving pack for her brother.

"Shungi", Agiza said quietly, stepping up close to whisper to her.

"Agiza? What's going on? Where's my brother and the others?"

"They're all dead", Agiza said vacantly as if in a trance, then she swallowed hard and stammered, "He's dead. I'm sorry Shungi. My sister is too".

She burst into tears. Shungi stared for a moment, not comprehending what had just been said. She was deathly still. Then she cast herself on the floor and wept.

Shenzi bit deeply into the wildebeest carcass and tried to block out the sobbing she heard around her as various pack mates were told their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, mates, sons, daughters and friends were dead. She did her best to focus on the meat she was tearing into. The warm flesh was unusually tasteless and she had to practically force it down her gullet. She wanted to retch.

Banzai and Ed were either side of her. Ed nuzzled her gently. She licked him on the nose gratefully.

"No matter what happens", Banzai said quietly, "It wasn't your fault".

She didn't answer but Banzai knew she appreciated that. He cringed as he heard Shungi wail:

"Why did he have to die?!"

Shenzi shuddered. There wasn't much more Banzai could do to console her than repeat:

"It wasn't your fault".

* * *

The lionesses and cubs of Pride Rock grimaced when they saw the state Ryana was in as Simba carried her up to the main cave where the lionesses slept every night. Ryana's mother was sobbing. Timon and Pumbaa trotted up eagerly to greet Simba but stopped when they looked at the youngster. The pair of them had originally followed the lions out of Pride Rock but had been left behind quickly and returned home.

Simba carried Ryana over to the large flat rock that was used as a throne in the corner of the cave and with the help of Tumai and Haya laid her down gently. Timon approached with a half a gourd he had filled with cool water and one of the lionesses laid down a hare that she had killed under Zazu's orders.

"What can we do for her?" Nala whispered to Simba.

"Not much, I admit", Simba sighed, "Just try to make her as comfortable as possible. Someone should talk to her mother".

"I'll go", Kiara slinked away to talk to the distraught lioness.

Ryana was still unconscious but she was still breathing. Nala placed a tentative paw on her little face and stroked it.

"The poor girl", she sounded choked up, "We couldn't save her. We failed".

"It's not your fault", Simba said quickly, and looked over his shoulder at Tenzer, "It's not _anyone's _fault".

"It's the hyena's fault", Kovu muttered, "Those…those…" he tensed in anger.

"Calm down kid", Pumbaa said quietly with rare wisdom, "Getting mad won't help anyone right now".

Zazu suddenly shot into the cave and landed before Simba's feet and gasped breathlessly, "Good news sire! He…he's here!" the hornbill collapsed in a heap.

Simba looked puzzled, "What? Who's here?"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance", a familiar voice said.

The lions turned to look at its source and stared.

* * *

Dawn on the Elephant's Graveyard looked much the same as night. The high cliff blotted out most of the sunlight and the roaring fires and volcanic activity still provided most of the grim light.

Ridikill was curled up in his own personal cave sleeping. His lips were curled back and his teeth were bared as if even his dreams were violent. Burudi slinked in through the small entrance and coughed loudly, in an attempt to wake him up.

Instantly Ridikill's eyes shot open and he glared angrily at his second-in-command, "Urgh! Why did you wake me? I'm tired!"

"Sorry, but I thought you should hear this".

"What? Shenzi's bunch finished with those wildebeest? Good. I'm hungry".

"No. Yesterday the pack ran into Simba's lions. There was a fight and they lost eleven pack members".

Ridikill stared, "...You woke me up for that?"

Burudi sighed, "Somehow I knew you wouldn't care".

The vicious pack leader looked thoughtful, "Well, that's not quite true…the pack that got attacked would have been Agiza's, right?"

"Yeah".

"Well then", Ridikill grinned, "That'll knock that cocky maggot down a few pegs. Unless she was killed too?"

"No", Burudi shook his head. He was as close as anyone had ever been to Ridikill, but even he often couldn't understand how his mind worked: several fellow hyenas had been slaughtered and all he cared about was the incident knocking down one of his rivals?

"Oh, well anyway, this _is_ worth getting up for", Ridikill sneered and rose, yawning loudly.

"Most of the clan's assembled already to hear the news officially. We should probably be there", Burudi explained.

Ridikill grunted and the two of them trotted out of his cave and headed along the many paths and tunnels of the Graveyard. Soon they came out into the largest clear area there was in the hyena clan's home. Usually it was just for lounging around and socializing, but today most of the clan was lined up there. Ridikill and Burudi slinked in and joined the ranks of silent hyenas. There were over one hundred clan members there. It occurred to Ridikill that this was the largest gathering of the clan since their domination of Pride Rock.

The clan was sitting facing Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. Shenzi was reciting the names of the hyenas killed the previous day. She was just finishing as Ridikill sat down.

"…And Vidiku, brother of Shungi, new recruit to Agiza's hunting pack. He will be missed".

The hyenas bowed their heads in respect. Ridikill looked around, shrugged and did the same so the clan leaders couldn't single him out in the crowd.

"You know, Shenzi doesn't look too bad", one bitch hyena just in front of Ridikill whispered to her mate, "I hear she took the attack real bad. Apparently she was really upset and was a bit of a mess yesterday".

Ridikill cocked an ear and listened in.

"Yeah, I heard she couldn't even look Shungi in the eye. Must think she's responsible", the bitch's mate replied in hushed tones.

That _was_ interesting for Ridikill. With his head bowed he looked at Shenzi out of the corner of his eye. She didn't seem upset as she recited the hyena funeral rites. She looked the same as ever except for a large bruise over her eye. But apart from that she seemed normal – with that smug self-assured expression on her face even though she was supposed to be leading the clan in a very grave ritual. Ridikill intended to find out more.

"Let's all hope they can find more peace in death than they did in life", Shenzi said, and then bowed her head and cried the hyena hunting cry, "Oooooo-whup!"

All at once the clan took up the cry. The howl was deafening and it reverberated off the cliff walls. With that last mournful cry the funeral rites were over. Slowly and quietly, as if unsure of themselves, the hyenas mingled again, talking quietly about the deaths of their clan members and what was fast becoming a war with the lions.

Ridikill smiled cruelly to himself and walked over to Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. The trio was conversing with the dead's family members and higher-ranking hyenas. As a hunting chief Ridikill was a normal addition to that group. He listened in.

"It was a beautiful funeral", one mother of a deceased was saying, "I'm sure he'd be proud".

"That means a lot to me", Shenzi replied, "I hope we did them justice". She was convinced it _hadn't_ been a beautiful send-off – all she'd done was recite hyena funeral rites her mother had taught her years ago and tried not to come across as either too callous or too emotional about it.

Banzai looked over at Ridikill, "Oh, there you are. Thought I didn't see you in the crowd. Where were you?"

"Sleeping", Ridikill answered with brutal honesty. One family member stared at him, shocked by his disregard for the deceased. Ridikill just grinned back sinisterly.

"So, where do we go from here?" one hyena asked the clan leader trio, "I mean, what are we gonna do with the lions?"

"Well, we need the Pride Land herds to feed the clan these days. No question of that", Shenzi answered, "Especially since we got some pregnant bitches and cubs. So yeah, I guess we're gonna need to keep invading the lion's territory".

"That can't go on for long", Agiza pointed out, "We can't pick at the scraps on Simba's plate forever".

"I know. But don't worry, it won't come to that. I think I got an idea", Shenzi said, and she smiled.

"Oh yeah!" Ridikill barked a short, ruthless laugh, "Because your plan worked out _so _well yesterday!"

That hurt. Shenzi looked away and hid her face, but Ridikill's scathing comment hurt her deeply. The other hyenas stared, sensing the tension. Shenzi had spent a restless night trying to convince herself Banzai was right: it _wasn't _her fault. And then Ridikill had just popped up and kicked her back into the dirt and reminded her of her guilt.

Ridikill chuckled. So, she _was_ upset. That was interesting…

Shenzi suddenly glared back at him with fierce intensity. He sneered back, encouraged by this chink he had found in the bitch's armour of smug coolness.

Then Shenzi smiled light-heartedly and shrugged, "What's the matter Ridikill? Sore you missed out on the action? I hate to disappoint you but no matter what you think of your fighting abilities you wouldn't have made a difference".

"Hmm. Well, maybe if you had picked the brains of your best hunting chief before marching out Agiza's second-rate troops, then the vultures wouldn't be picking _their_ brains right now".

Instantly the nearby hyenas started a chorus of furious growling. They all glared at the crude chief and gnashed their teeth angrily. Ridikill realized he had pushed past the boundaries of what was socially acceptable at a moment like this.

"I take my leave", he said and walked away quickly, heading for the nearest cave entrance. The other hyenas watched him go.

He was only a few yards down the tunnel when Burudi popped up next to him, "Oh, that was _real_ smooth, boss".

"Oh, what do you want now?"

"I'm making sure you get outta here alive. You have any idea who you just ticked off? The three clan leaders and the family members of eleven recently slaughtered hunters? You're asking for a beating, man".

"I didn't remember asking you for your opinion".

"Dude, I'm serious. They ain't happy. You'd better lie low for a while".

Ridikill smiled in the darkness, "Don't worry, I intend to. I got one or two folks I need to talk to".

"Oh? Who?"

"Mind your own damn business! Anyway, as for your concern for my safety – I'm touched. I really am. Got any other useful advice for a paw-licker like me?" his voice dripped sarcasm.

Burudi shook his head, "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Mock everyone. Me and Shenzi included".

"It's what I do. Life's so much fun if you remind yourself every few seconds how superior you are by kicking everyone else down – be it physically or verbally".

"Shenzi's _your_ superior".

Ridkill grunted, "Yeah. In theory. But she screwed up, eh? Seems disturbed too. Weak. Maybe she won't be in charge for much longer, eh? Maybe someone with a more ruthless streak should step up, huh?"

Burudi stared, jaw wide open, "You're...you're talking about…_mutiny_".

"Who's talking about what? I never said nothin'. Just thinking aloud. Harmless musings. Now get outta my sight. I'm off. Be back in a day or two".

The scarred dog hyena could only gape at Ridikill as he trotted away up the tunnel, sniggering to himself.


	7. Prehistoria

As repetitive as this sounds many thanks once again to everyone who read the last chapter and reviewed it, and also others who've messaged me or put the story into their favourite stories etc. I hope you like this chapter. I'm also interested in Fangsire's predictions, hehehe.

For anyone who's familiar with the works there's a little homage to Rudyard Kipling's "The Undertakers" in this chapter. Many thanks, I apologize for the long wait.

Here's the characters so far.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer, former loner

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokannero – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Mali – Adult male leopard

* * *

The lions stared at the baboon. The baboon stared at the lions.

"…Who's that?" Tumai gawked.

"Rafiki!" Simba leapt forward with cub-like-eagerness, "What are you doing here?"

"That can wait", the monkey said in his strange accent and stepped forward on his skinny legs. His palms and feet were wrinkled and brown with long, dexterous digits. A mane of white fur surrounded his neck like a collar. His brightly coloured blue and red face startled the lions who didn't know him. Just as strange was the baobab stick he carried in his right hand, with two gourds lashed to it by use of a vine.

"…Whoever he is, he's crazy", Madari muttered.

Instantly Rafiki's stick came down on his head. Hard.

"Ow! You little…"

The baboon chortled and spoke in a strange, high-pitched yet scratchy voice, "Ooh-hahaha! I'm crazy, am I? You are the one who spends an hour every morning washing his hair in the waterhole".

Simba and a few of the older lions laughed. The rest just looked confused, and none more than Maradi.

"How…how do you know that?" he demanded to know breathlessly.

"My young friend, you'll find there's very few things about these lands and all in them that I do not know", without another word he scooted over to Ryana's prostate form.

"H.-hey! Get away from her!" Ryana's mother managed to snarl.

"It's alright. Trust him", Simba said, and he went to the baboon's side, "What are you doing here? We haven't seen you in the Pride Lands since the wedding of Kovu and Kiara".

"No indeed. I've been very busy".

"With what?"

Rafiki cracked Simba on the cranium with his stick casually, not even looking in his direction, "Less talking, please, young King".

The other lions stared. Those unfamiliar with King Simba's most ancient and mysterious friend were starting to get angry: who was this bizarre baboon, with weird markings on his face that didn't identify him as any species of baboon that they knew, to come hopping into Pride Rock, disregard the lions, inspect their mortally wounded comrade and humiliate King Simba? Tumai and Maradi were beginning to bare their teeth, slightly.

Simba however simply seem amused, "That stick's always reminded me of my place", he grinned.

"Have you forgotten about Ryana? Show some remorse!" Ryana's mother screeched.

"Oh, this little one, such a wound for one so young as her to bear", Rafiki muttered, ignoring the other lions completely, shaking his wizened head back and forth and making disapproving _tsk_ sounds.

At the mouth of the cave Timon sighed to Pumbaa, "Time for the monkey's moment of glory".

"Can you help her?" Simba asked Rafiki.

"Oh yes, most assuredly I can. If I can only have…"

Instantly Tenzer leapt through the crowd, surprising everyone, "If you can only have _what_?!" he yelled, "Tell me and I'll find it! No matter what you need to help her I'll get it! This is my fault and I want to put it right. So what do you need, old man?"

"Oh-ho, you are eager my young friend, so I shall tell you what I need right now more than anything to help this little girl".

"What? What is it?" Tenzer leaned in to hear.

"Come closer!" Rafiki extended a scrawny arm, gripped Tenzer's ear between two bony fingers and yanked the lion youth closer.

"What?" the lion asked again.

"Peace and quiet!" the baboon shouted in his ear, and followed up with an admonishing whack with his stick between Tenzer's eyes, "Now go! All of you! Except the King and Queen, and the girl's mother".

The bemused pride grumbled and growled amongst themselves. Even for those who had seen him at Kiara's wedding this all seemed a bit much. They stared defiantly at Rafiki who paid them no attention and was instead inspecting the gourds at the end of his staff.

"Do as he says", Nala said reassuringly to the Pride, "Trust me. He knows what he's doing. Everything should be okay now. So go get some rest. You included", she looked at Tenzer and smiled, "Everything's going to be fine".

* * *

Dawn was just beginning to break. Ridikill sat on his haunches, staring out at the dark muddy river that knifed its way through the sloping red dirt banks on either side. Normally the river flowed through swiftly, fresh and clear, but as the dry season took hold it was reduced to a slower current of mud-brown water sloshed with occasional white foam. But it was still very deep, far too deep to see the bottom, and Ridikill found himself wondering just how deep the river was.

. A few Thompson's gazelle fifty yards to his left eyed him warily as they took it in turns to lap at the water. Ridikill grinned. He knew it wasn't him they should really be afraid of. There was more than darkness in the depths.

As the hyena looked out over the water he saw a shadow blacker than the brown water take shape. It began to head in the direction of the bank Ridikill was sitting on. As it drew nearer and nearer it grew a little more distinct although it still looked fairly innocuous and wouldn't have alarmed the vast majority of creatures who would quench their thirst at the Pride Land's main river.

It never ceased to amaze Ridikill how well the crocodile hid itself. At last the reptile hauled itself out of the water, startling the gazelle who promptly turned tail and fled. The eighteen-foot predator dragged itself up the bank on four stubby little clawed legs that seemed incapable of supporting the vast scaly barrel-body. Draped in the shallows was a long muscular tail that was bristling with sharp scales.

A short neck held up a long low head with two small protruding eyes that glinted green in the early morning light. The long snout contained dozens of sharp pointed teeth, and Ridikill knew the power in his own jaws paled in comparison to the legendary crushing bite of the crocodile. Over its entire body was a covering of horny scales and on its broad back this was developed into thick plates with sharp scutes.

"Greetings Mamacala", Ridikill said, bowing low.

A harsh grating voice like the sound of stones sliding down a gravel slope answered, "Greetings Ridikill. What do you want?"

"Want? Can't I come and see a friend of mine without being accused of having an ulterior motive?"

The crocodile chuckled quietly, "Give me due credit. I'm no fool and neither are you. None come to see Mamacala, Lord of the Rivers unless they care for a scrap of wisdom or sometimes even a scrap of food. In the same way I do not seek out the miserable fish, the foolish gazelle and the wily zebras unless…I too want something".

"You have little faith in me", Ridikill replied.

"Little faith? Of course not, I just see you for what you truly are. Now…let me get comfortable".

Mamacala dragged his bloated body further up the bank. Ridikill instantly skipped back on his feet whilst keeping his eyes on the crocodile. He may have been one of the few able to engage the crocodile in civil conversation but that did not mean he was going to be unwary in his presence. It was always wise to be on your toes in the presence of a crocodile as big and as cunning as Mamacala.

Ridikill could see clearer now some of the crocodile's many scars. There was an almighty scrape along the back plates that was probably from a hippo's tusk. Two puncture marks near the armoured neck were most likely from a big cat. Many scars came from other crocodiles: several of his toes were missing on his front left leg and there were many slashes, some clear but most indistinct; they were clearly the toothwork of other crocodiles.

"Admiring my medals eh?" Mamacala grunted, noticing Ridikill's eyes wandering over his scarred form.

"If that's what you call them", Ridikill replied, "The only thing that's more impressive is the fact that you survived all of the encounters".

It was far from Ridikill's character to flatter another, but he was used to fawning over the old reptile and also the respect was genuine. He was very interested in learning exactly where the scars had come from.

"Well, now", Mamacala stretched out flat in the sand, "If you're interested I can tell you a bit about some of them".

"The mark on my neck", he began, "It was from a very long time ago, far longer than any hyena could remember. I was young and it was in the dry season. I was twelve feet in length or so, maybe. The waterhole had dried up and I left during the day to find another. On the way a lion attacked me. A lone male, evicted from his pride by a challenger I heard later, you see. He was desperate for a meal.

"Took me by surprise, grabbing me by my neck and biting down when I was just plodding around trying to follow the scent of water. But I showed him. I thrashed a bit and threw him off and then fastened my teeth into his side. That quietened him down, let me tell you. But to his credit he gave me a good scar. Here, you can take a closer look yourself. I can't see it myself and I want to know how it looks these days. Lean in and take a look, would you?"

"Perhaps some other time", Ridikill smiled cunningly. Although he and Mamacala were conversation-buddies he knew that did not exclude him from the crocodile's menu. Whether or not the croc had genuinely wanted to know how the scar was looking, or it was a cunning ploy to lure Ridikill close enough to be devoured, or if Mamacala was perhaps testing Ridikill's wits as he sometimes did the hyena didn't know. The crocodile was utterly unreadable – compared to mammals such as himself Mamacala's stiff face and rigid skin prevented him for making any real facial expression. Instead the croc made his mood and intentions clear – and then only rarely - through body language, evil eyes and cutting words.

"Oh well", the crocodile sighed as if disappointed, "Anyway, you might have noticed that disfiguring scar on my back. That was from a hippopotamus bull".

"Ahh, I thought so. One of those lunatics get too close for comfort?"

"Far from it. I killed him".

Ridikill sat up straight. This was hunting on a scale that impressed him.

"You killed an adult hippo bull? Alone?"

"Well, I'm not really an advocate of this co-operative hunting you hyenas are so fond of", Mamacala mumbled as he opened his jaws to bask.

"But…that's incredible!" Ridikill had heard stories from far away about prides of lions sometimes working together to kill hippos when they came onto land at night, but he'd never believed them, "How could you kill a hippo alone?"

"It wasn't easy, I'll admit. Wouldn't have that scar otherwise. But I thought he was getting too big for his own boots, forgetting his place and all. Plus I was hungry. So I took him out. That was a few years back".

Ridikill stared. Mamacala was the biggest and most powerful crocodile, and indeed predator that he'd ever heard of. He didn't really know the limits of the reptile's full power.

"No-one else can compare to your age and power, Lord of the Rivers", he said reverently.

"Needless flattery's not becoming. And also: what would you know? There's one ancient fellow I doubt you'd know of who might be even older than I am".

* * *

"So, you mind telling us who that creepy monkey is?" one of the lionesses grumbled as the lions slumped down some distance away from the cave.

"Well, he's an old friend of the family. Really old", Kiara replied, "It's hard to explain what exactly it is he does. But he's very wise. If anyone can help Ryana now he can".

"Wise my foot", Salama the elder male muttered as he licked one of his forepaws that was still tangled with dry hyena blood, "He's just an old lunatic".

"What'd you know?" Vitani snapped, "Maybe you should keep your patronizing 'wisdom' to yourself for a change".

"Will you knock it off? I'm trying to concentrate" Maradi said in the midst grooming himself desperately, "Oh, this hyena blood is not going to come out of my whiskers any time soon!"

"Show some backbone", Tumai sneered.

"Hey, tough guy, I couldn't help but notice that you weren't the first into battle, you over-grown…"

"Cut it out!" Kiara interrupted, "Look, it's been a long day. We're all a little tense. Let's just take it easy, okay? We'll let Rafiki take care of Ryana. I suggest we all get some sleep".

"But we're hungry", Haya looked up at her pleadingly, "We didn't eat last night. Can't some of you go hunting now?"

"Urgh, _males_!" Kiara sighed in frustration and turned away, Kovu shortly after her.

The lionesses gradually dispersed, leaving the six males all alone.

"Well, go figure", Juvi muttered, "We save their lives and they complain!"

"That's the way females do things", Salama explained, "They're complicated. Apparently gratitude is beyond them".

"Oh, some of them must have been impressed by our skills", Tumai pointed out, "It was quite a show".

"Sure was. I'm sure one or two of the lovely ladies will have warmed up to me by now", grinned Maradi.

"…You need to _kill things_ to impress lionesses?" exclaimed Haya.

"In my experience, yes", Tumai nodded, "Females act all sensitive and stuff, like they want you to look after them, but deep down inside they all want a mate who has that killer instinct. Someone tough, you know?"

"Give them more credit than that", Lokanneoro argued, "All lionesses are different. They can't be figured out by some simple principle".

"Yeah. They want good looks too", Maradi grinned and ruffled his mane.

"Oh, who cares right now?" Juvi snapped, "One of our pride is injured in there and we may have just started a full-scale war with the hyenas. Can't you think of something else but mating for a change?"

"Oh, it's not all that bad", Haya smiled, "Life's pretty good right now. No amount of hyenas are a match for us males, and what, may I ask, is more powerful than a male lion in his prime?"

"An elephant. A rhino. A hippo. A buffalo. A crocodile. And most worryingly, one hundred hyenas. We don't know how many of them there are", Salama reminded.

"If the worst comes to the worst and we have to go their lair and kill them all, big deal. It won't be a problem. It's what us males are for", Tumai shrugged.

"Simba will never allow something like that", Juvi picked himself up and padded away, "I'm going to get some rest. We should all do the same. Who knows, maybe it won't be too long before Simba calls on us again to save the day".

* * *

Mamacala had talked for a while now about most of his little scars that were indeed from territorial disputes with other crocodiles. Ridikill was pleased with how accurate his guesses had been. He listened with interest to Mamacala's tales of the battles he'd had with other crocodiles. He noticed Mamacala did not mention his missing toes but Ridikill did not press him.

Ridikill enjoyed good tales about hunting and fights to the death, and Mamacala enjoyed recounting his stories from years so long ago to an eager listener. The hyena listened with rapt interest and so the two got on well.

But it was not surprising. Much of what Ridikill had learned in the ways of manipulating others through terror and causing chaos, and the pleasure to be earned through being a vicious outsider had come from Mamacala.

The two of them had met when Ridikill was less than half-grown. He had been hunting alone at night when he came across the gigantic crocodile crawling on his belly from one waterhole to another. Mamacala had made a half-hearted attempt to eat him but the great reptile was sluggish on land and had eventually just ambled on. In the end Ridikill had followed him, curious to learn more about this fearsome behemoth. The two had engaged in conversation as Ridikill followed at a safe distance. It hadn't taken long for Ridikill to come to admire the cruelty, terrible strength and the cold attitude of Mamacala.

Soon after this initial meeting Ridikill began seeking Mamacala out once in a while. He would bring meat from kills (for Mamacala was not too proud to eat scraps) in exchange for a mere chance to talk to the reptile and absorb his ruthless wisdom. In turn Mamacala saw Ridikill as diverting entertainment, almost a project who he could mould to become like a lesser version of himself. Ridikill would never truly realize just how much he had been influenced by Mamacala's cunning.

"Well, anyway, enough of this", Mamacala said after a while, "You've come looking for me, and not just to hear an old croc's tales, I'm sure. What do you want?"

"I don't _want_ anything", Ridikill answered, "I just thought I'd drop by and see an old friend. And I thought you might like to know that yesterday evening there was a fight between my hyena clan and Simba's lion pride".

"I'd heard something of it", Mamacala closed his horny eyelids, "There was a lot of vultures overhead as well, more than you'd find on average carcass. A few deaths then eh?"

"Yeah. We lost eleven hyenas".

"Your clan must be upset".

"Sure is. If you can believe it even our leader is disturbed!"

"I certainly can believe it. You mammals are so…fragile, both emotionally and physically".

"Garn! Not me!" Ridikill snapped, losing his temper for a moment.

"You are an exception. Or at least you are becoming one. But you still become angry so easily. That's an emotion as well, you realize. A weakness. It could be your undoing".

Ridikill considered the reptile's words, then lowered his head, "You're right. I'm sorry".

Mamacala's eyes flew open, "And don't apologize either. It's an admission of wrongdoing, and accepting that you've done wrong is another weakness. Anyway, why are you telling me this?"

"Just because I know you like to be informed about such things. Although I've no doubt you'd find out in your own way eventually. Also, I somewhat upset a few of my clan at the funeral rites, including our leader, so I'm lying low for a few days".

"Oh, your leader? That's the female…what's her name?"

"Shenzi. I'm surprised you don't remember. You've got a good mind for such things".

"The lives of mammals are so fleeting. In my time I've seen two dozen or more hyena clan leaders rise and fall".

Ridikill shook his head. He could never fully comprehend just how old the crocodile was. Ridikill had only known two sets of clan leaders during his life: Shenzi, Banzai, Ed and their predecessors whom they'd driven out. He was still in the prime of his life and from what he could tell he would never see the wonders Mamacala had seen in his timeless existence.

"So, you're running loose for a few days then eh?" the crocodile shifted his weight slightly, "What are you going to do? Hide in the Pride Lands or head further North?"

"I'll stay in the Pride Lands, but I wouldn't really call it hiding".

"Hmm. And these leaders of yours, this 'Shenzi' and her cronies…do they still have a firm grip on their position?"

"I'd say so. I think everyone feels a little sorry for Shenzi. I think she's getting soft myself. Maybe someone a little tougher should step up".

"Someone such as yourself".

"Oh, it's far too early to say that", the hyena grinned, showing his teeth, "But anyway. I'm sure the political lives of us lowly mammals bore you rigid".

"More or less. The same with the lions. Marriages and births and feuds and initiations into the pride and ceremonies…how dull. Us crocodiles just do things the simple way: the most powerful rules, by which of course I mean me".

"That's something I don't get", Ridikill cocked his head, "The lions let you stay in the Pride Lands because you're not in direct competition with them, unlike us hyenas. But you're more powerful than any lion. Most adult crocodiles are. So why do you even listen to what the lions say?"

"I've no reason to argue with the lions. The finest, more fertile wetlands in all the lands even I know rest here, and the river does not shrink so severely in the dry season. The prey here is good. So if we must pretend to care what the lions say and do in order to stay here without a fuss then so be it".

"Must be hard to pretend to like those overgrown desert cats!" Ridikill spat.

"I hold no allegiance to either lion or hyena. I do my own thing and if I'm left alone I'm content. Speaking of which, time for you to go. I've heard enough for today. Doubtless I'll see you soon. Things are going to change in the Pride Lands.

"The news of the lion and hyena war will spread like fire and neither side will be content to let the other have what it wants. So you keep me informed. Frogs and egrets are about the only animals willing to hold a conversation with a croc at even a safe distance. Apart from that I must listen to idle gossip from drinking grazers and attempt to filter through the interesting news, which is tedious. Now go".

Ridikill nodded and trotted away: not so fast that he appeared scared, but just fast enough that he was quickly out of reach of the crocodile's lunge in case he suddenly decided he was hungry. It always was a gamble, chatting with a giant, wily old croc.

* * *

"Sure, it's a pain, but it's our lot in life", Vitani was saying as she and Amaryllis walked through the dry grass in the mid-morning heat. The pair of them, along with several other lionesses, had been sent out to scout for any remaining hyena interlopers. Vitani and Amaryllis had immediately struck out north while the other lionesses dispersed.

"Yeah. I don't mind, but you have to admit it's dangerous, being sent out here after that close call with the hyenas. What if there still are hyenas here, and there's a lot of them? What do we do then, just run for our lives again and pray for the best?" Amaryllis countered.

"Well, we volunteered to go", Vitani grunted, "Let's just get this over with. We don't need to go any further to the Northern border than the old baobab tree, Kiara said. So this won't take long".

"Yeah. I just hope Ryana's okay. Do you know what the deal with that monkey is, by the way?"

Vitani narrowed her eyes, "Sort of. He's kinda like…a doctor or something, or a…magician. A wise man. I don't know how accurate all this talk about his skills is, but I know he's an old friend of Simba's family. And I mean _old_. They say he was there at Mufasa's birth, and maybe even before that".

"Wow", Amaryllis shook her head, "Well, let's just hope he's good at whatever it is he does, because to me it looks like a miracle is needed to save poor Ryana".

The grey lioness stopped in her tracks and looked up ahead. There was the tall circle of elephant grass around the little waterhole she had encountered the strange hyena at – was it only yesterday?

"What is it?" Vitani asked.

"Nothing. I'm just going to check out that waterhole. You go on ahead, I'll catch up".

Vitani shrugged and walked on. Amaryllis approached the waterhole and pushed herself between the fronds of sharp grass and looked at the little pool.

The hyena was there as well.

Ridikill bared his teeth and growled ferociously, spittle dripping from his canines. Amaryllis looked back at him, slightly at a loss for what to do.

"Well, hello again", she said eventually.

"Well well well, what have we here? It's that trespassing female desert cat again!" Ridikill snapped.

"Trespassing, me? Like I said yesterday, you're the one on _our _land!"

"Well, I've claimed this little spot for my own. And I'll kill anyone who thinks they can just march into it without my permission".

Amaryllis cocked her head, "Are all hyenas as friendly as you?"

The remark seemed to amuse the hyena; he stopped growling and sat down on his haunches, grinning, "I'm a rare breed. Even my clan thinks I'm a little…antisocial".

"I can see why, no offence meant".

"None taken. It takes more than exchanging pleasantries with a witless female with delusions of grandeur to offend me".

"Delusions of…hey, like I said, _you're _the intruder here!"

"Oh, then please, show me mercy o great and noble ruler!" the hyena threw his head back and laughed in a harsh, mocking tone.

"I'd watch your step", Amaryllis tensed a little, "I'm under orders to either kill or drive off any hyenas after what happened last night".

"Oh yes, that little scuffle. I missed that, sadly. Were you there?"

The lioness nodded slowly, sceptical about her wisdom in even conversing with this creature.

"Well then, you'll know exactly what happened. Tell me, did just the male lions do the killing, or did you lionesses join in?"

Amaryllis looked at the dirt on her paws. She wasn't really in a mood to discuss the killings, least of all with an apparent psychopathic enemy.

Ridikill leaned forward, "Well? Answer me!"

"Just the males", Amaryllis muttered.

"Oh, I figured. You see, you females, regardless of what species, always lack the true killer instinct and raw fighting attitude of us males. More interested in silly things like getting a mate, idle gossip, how you look and raising children. How repugnant!" Ridikill spat and then sneered at Amaryllis.

"Excuse me?" Amaryllis gaped.

"Oh, you heard. Now run along, little female. Go tell your skulking king what you will about my presence, but rest assured by the time you lions come to kill me I'll be long gone!" Ridikill burst into arrogant laughter again, thrilled by his own cleverness and dominance.

"Or maybe _I_ could just kill you now? Ever think of that?"

The hyena stopped laughing. He looked at the lioness. Her tone of voice had changed; no longer an offended exclamatory voice but a soft, powerful and menacing whisper. Her eyes shone with what the hyena immediately recognized as killer instinct; her claws were unsheathed and her normally pleasant face was contorted into a vicious snarl with bared teeth.

She took a step forward. The hyena found himself taking a step back.

"You see, your first big mistake was in assuming you know me", the lioness practically purred, her voice oozing hidden danger, "But you don't. You know nothing about me. I'm not interested in mates or gossip or how I look or anything like that. I'm a _survivor_. And to survive, I've had to _kill_ as well. I'm a _killer_ too".

Ridikill flattened his ears and showed his teeth, his mane bristling and tail pricking up angrily: but he knew it was a useless show of defiance. He focused all his energy into stopping his legs from shaking and his body from quivering. He glanced at the lionesses' feet.

She took a step forward.

Then the look of predator intensity was gone as suddenly as it had appeared. Her face relaxed into an agreeable smile and her eyes twinkled with amusement. The hyena stared at her.

"So, like I was saying", Amaryllis grinned, "Don't assume you know me".

With that she was gone, padding away through the elephant grass. Ridikill didn't move until she was gone. Then he threw himself onto the floor and sighed in relief.

That had been a little…_strange_. He had always assumed that all females had only one dimension to them and that was the rule with females across the board. Only Shenzi and one or two other female hunters like Agiza and Sarkil in his own clan differed in that. He assumed that female lions would be even weaker and more pathetic, fighting only when absolutely forced to.

If he had been a little more honest with himself, the hyena would have admitted he was actually somewhat impressed. And if he had been completely honest, he would have admitted that he had been scared too.


	8. Rallying

Author's notes: Well, another update. A relatively short chapter this time I'm afraid, but things are really going to pick up from here I think in terms of pace and drama.

Thank you all again for your reviews, I would have grown lazy and stopped ages ago if not for them, hehehe.

Here's the character list.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer, former loner

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokannero – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

* * *

Shenzi woke with a groan. She stood up, stretched and shook herself and stepped out of her cave. There was no point in looking at the sky to tell what time of day it was in the Graveyard – the green gloom was present as usual. Instead she sniffed the air. Morning.

So it would have been two nights ago she had to hold that dreadful funeral. What a disaster that had been. No small thanks to Ridikill for that. Since the day of the funeral she had just mooched around, eating what the hunting parties dragged in now and then and sleeping.

Ed trotted up to her, grinning. She smiled back and yawned again.

"Morning Ed. How're you?"

Ed replied with his usual strange slobbering.

"Yeah, I'm kinda hungry too. Food's getting a bit scare again. I think it's time for me to put my plan into action".

Ed cocked his head.

"Sorry, can't say honey, it's top secret".

Ed whined pathetically.

Shenzi sighed, "Alright fine, but you can't tell anyone else. Not even Banzai".

* * *

"So, ya looking forward to finding a mate this year then?" Babaka asked.

About a dozen males hyena were lounging around in a rocky clearing. Banzai was there, and as high-ranking as he was the lesser males found he wasn't nearly as severe as Shenzi and so they could talk at ease with him around.

"Garn, every year, another mate, more cubs, ya forget which ones are yours, who cares?" the vicious Kapungu spat, "Sure, I'll find myself a mate, but who cares? It's really not worth the fuss".

"Speak for yourself", one cocky male called Ambika exclaimed, "It's the highlight of my year!"

"And mine!" Groco piped up.

Several of the other hyenas laughed, "Oh yeah! You've never had a mate and you never will, weakling!"

Groco flushed angrily, "I will too! You watch your mouth, all of you! I'll have the best mate of all this year, you wait and see!"

"The best mate in the clan?" Burudi snorted, "That would be Shenzi, genius! The clan leader, and as good-looking as they come. I'd like to see your chances with _her_!"

"And yet she's never taken a mate", Babaka mused, "Some say she's saving herself up for someone special, isn't that right Banzai?"

The other males cringed. There were always plenty of rumours flying around regarding Shenzi and Banzai being secretly mates. Some regarded it as the only explanation for neither of them ever taking mates. However Shenzi and Banzai always savagely denied it and the clan had learned to keep their mouths shut about that particular subject in front of them. Babaka had been trying his luck.

Banzai looked up from where he was lying on his side and fixed Babaka with a glare. That was all it took. Babaka bowed his head and looked away instantly. Banzai grunted and lay back down.

"Well, there's only one more hyena even more mate-less than Groco", Ambika grinned, trying to resume the conversation, "Ridikill. Wherever he's hiding his nasty face these days. He's never taken a mate either, has he?"

Burudi thought back to the only time he remembered Ridikill being approached by a female. It was about a year ago when the two of them were wandering around in a pack of about ten hyenas, before they had re-joined the clan. A lone female had approached the renegade pack and expressed an interest in Ridikill.

Ridikill had eyed the female up and down, looking at her hips, her legs and her sides. Then he'd leered and licked his lips. Burudi had been stunned: was there a secret, lustful side to the otherwise introverted Ridikill that had been kept secret?

Then Ridikill had thrown his head back and laughed, "The only interest I have in you is a potential gastronomic one".

"No, Ridikill doesn't show an interest in females", Burudi confirmed, shaking his head, "There's not a lot that interests him. Hunting, killing, eating. That's about it".

"Some people just have no social skills", Babaka grunted, gnawing at a patch on his rear that he'd nibbled bare due to flea bites, "He needs himself a nice female to…"

"That's enough of that, boys", Banzai said suddenly, standing up, "Shenzi's here".

Shenzi and Ed padded into the clearing. With the exception of Banzai the males made half-hearted efforts to lower their heads in submission.

"Hey bark-breath, any sign of some food?" Shenzi snapped.

"Hey, don't look at me! I ain't going hunting in the Pride Lands!" Banzai snorted, "All the hunting parties are afraid to go there after we bumped into Simba the other day. Can you blame 'em?"

Shenzi rolled her eyes, "You idiot. Well, can't some of you go hunting further north?"

"We would except for the fact that basically all of the herds within a hundred miles are already in the Pride Lands! It's gonna be a bad dry season this year everyone reckons, and all the herds are heading into Simba's kingdom, where the grazing stays good all year".

"The Pride Lands must be chock-filled with wildebeest…" Groco drooled, "…And zebra. And impala. And gazelle. And eland. And oryx. And little baby buffalo and giraffe calves, just beginning to wander away from their mommas…"

Burudi clouted the fantasizing hyena over the head with his paw. Groco's talk was making him hungry.

Shenzi shook her head, "This is crazy. How many cubs have we already got in the clan?"

Banzai thought for a moment, "Uh...thirty or so. Quite a few ignored your advice this year".

It was under Shenzi's advisement that the clan only mated as the dry season was becoming severe. That way cubs were born all at the same time, just as the wet season was beginning and food was plentiful again. Lots of cubs needed lots of milk and lots of meat was needed for the mothers to produce that milk.

However obviously it was impossible to stop some hyenas mating whenever they felt like it throughout the year. As such this year there were quite a few cubs of various ages: some were still living underground in burrows, some were beginning to walk and open their eyes and others were already being weaned onto meat.

Shenzi gritted her teeth, "Things are getting desperate. At this rate all of the cubs are gonna drop dead".

"Well, what can we do about it? It's not like we can just walk into the Pride Lands and kick Simba out, can we?" Banzai barked a short laugh.

Shenzi and Ed smiled a slow smile.

Banzai stared, "…_Can we_?"

The other hyenas all looked up, eyes wide and ears pricked.

"Listen, all of you", Shenzi said, "By tomorrow morning I want every hyena, and I mean _every _hyena, assembled on the Pride Land border. Got that?"

"Uh…" was all Banzai could manage.

"You got that?"

Kapungu was the first to speak, "Now that's more like it! This ain't no territory dispute no more! This is _war_!"

The male hyenas all whooped, cackled and howled in savage joy.

"Like I said, rally everyone by this time tomorrow on the border", the bitch hyena grinned, showing her teeth and gums, then turned and wandered away slowly, hunched over and her tail swishing impatiently.

* * *

Everything was dark for a long while. Ryana could hear voices – distant and strange. One of them sounded like her mother. One of them was a strange babbling and muttering.

Then slowly she opened her eyes. Everything was blurred and vague. There was somebody – or something – right in her face. Her vision eventually focused and the image of baboon with a hideous red and blue face peering into her eyes cleared.

She gave a little shriek, startled, and leapt onto her feet and scrambled back.

"Ryana! You're alright!" her mother cried and swept forward to embrace her.

"Uh…" Ryana thought for a moment. She couldn't remember anything. Where was she and why had she been asleep?

Then it hit her like a rock. The hyenas, the tearing teeth, her blood…

"Mom! What happened? Where am I? Am I dead?"

"No indeed", the baboon laughed in a creaky, breathless voice, "But not for lack of trying, young lady! I was at a loss for how to help you for a while! You seemed determined to go ahead and die in poor old Rafiki's arms! But no, you pulled through".

"I…I…" Ryana looked around. She was in a cave in Pride Rock. King Simba and Queen Nala were standing behind the crazy baboon.

"Oh, thank you so much!" Ryana's mother wept to the monkey.

"I think I should explain", Simba stepped forward, seeing Ryana's confusion, "This is Rafiki. He's an old friend of the family. He's able to help with things like this, when he's around. We were lucky he was here to help you".

"Oh-ho, luck had nothing to do with it", Rafiki span around and faced Simba and Nala, "Come talk with me. Let us leave the mother with her daughter. We have much to discuss".

"Uhm…thank you, sir", Ryana called after the monkey, examining her closed wound with amazement.

Rafiki bowed low once and then led Simba and Nala out of the cave. They followed him to the very peak of Pride Rock and looked out over the morning glow over the savannah. Simba and Nala sat on their haunches while Rafiki sat down between them, hunched over.

"Things are not all well, Simba?" he asked quietly.

"No", Simba admitted, "We're having a lot of trouble with the hyenas from the North. The same ones who served Scar when he took over the Pride Lands".

"Mmm. Dangerous creatures, these hyenas. Willing to do great evil when hungry".

Nala sighed, "I suppose all carnivores are, but it's hard to look favourably on the hyenas. I think some of the pride wants them all dead. They'd probably prefer it if we marched right out and killed them in their dens".

"That's not going to happen", Simba looked away to the North, "I won't fight them unless they attack us first".

"They already have, haven't they?" Rafiki pointed out.

"So you think we should take the fight to them?" Nala asked.

"I am not going to offer you counsel on this matter, you must do what _you_ think is right. But I warn you Simba", he turned his bearded head to look at the Lion King, "This matter will not simply go away. One way or another you must lead your kingdom to resolve this crisis. And it _will_ become a crisis I'm afraid.

"Also realize I can't always be here to help you like I helped the girl today. I have other duties too".

Simba nodded. He didn't know exactly what these "duties" were, but he understood that they were equally important to Rafiki.

"There's not a lot more I can do for you Simba", Rafiki repeated, more serious than usual, "Other than to tell you that you must do what _you_ think is right for your kingdom".

With that he picked himself up and clambered his way back down Pride Rock's sheer cliffs.

* * *

"You still won't tell me what happened back there", Vitani said to Amaryllis as they arrived home at Pride Rock, "I swear I heard voices when you got to that waterhole. You speak to someone?"

"For the last time, no", Amaryllis smiled, "You're imagining things Vitani".

Vitani looked at her companion for a moment, then grunted and shrugged, "If you say so. We should go and see if Ryana's recovered at all. I want to see if this monkey lives up to this reputation".

She started up the narrow path leading up to Pride Rock's network of caves. Amaryllis followed her. The grey lioness wondered why exactly she was hiding the fact that she had been threatened by a psychotic hyena from Vitani. Vitani would likely rally a few others and head out immediately to kill the hyena. Amaryllis didn't want that. But why not? The hyena was clearly a proponent of the "kill or be killed" mentality and death was probably no more than he deserved.

But still she was reluctant to tell the other lions about the hyena. She couldn't resign the hyena to death just like that. She sighed. Maybe the hyena was right. Maybe she was just a "weak little female".

"Mom!" a shrill voice called out. Amabi clambered down the path towards his adopted mother. He was smiling like she hadn't seen him smile for a long time.

"Hi honey", Amaryllis smiled and stepped forward to embrace him.

"Mom! You've got to come and see! Ryana's okay! She's standing up and walking and everything!"

"What?!" Vitani exclaimed, "She's on her feet? That's impossible!"

"Come see for yourself!" the little lioness cub Alyssa affirmed, trotting up behind Amabi with her brother Kelt, "It's the monkey! He did it! He's magic!"

Vitani and Amaryllis exchanged looks. Were the cubs just pretending Ryana was alright in order to stop themselves from becoming upset?

"Seriously, Mom! Come see!" Amabi gripped Amaryllis' paw in his little teeth and tugged. She laughed.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming Amabi. Let's go see Ryana".

* * *

"Report!" Banzai snapped at his followers as they assembled in the cave where Shenzi had given them their orders earlier that day.

"I've recruited all the able fighters in the eastern dens", Kapungu answered, "That's twenty or so".

"I went to spread the news by the geyser dens", Groco declared, "That's another ten or fifteen".

"The northern dens, all thirty of the able fighters said they'd go", Burudi explained, "I had to get Agiza to get them to listen to me though".

"Heh, I needed Sarkil to help me", Groco shrugged, "I guess they just don't listen to the males without any authority, eh?"

"Anyway, I got fifty from the southern, western and central dens", Banzai grunted, "That makes…uh…"

"One hundred and ten, give or take a few", Shenzi smirked, appearing suddenly and strolling in leisurely, "I'll be damned if this ain't the biggest clan in Africa. Anyway, that can't be all of 'em?"

"Yeah, I guess it is", Banzai glared sourly at Shenzi: she was becoming more and more bossy with every day, "Except of course the old timers, the pregnant females, the new mothers and the cubs".

Shenzi curled back her lips, "Didn't I say _every_ hyena, moron?"

The assembled males stared, "Uh…what?"

"I told you all specifically to tell _every_ hyena to be ready! _Every_ hyena! You got that, lizard brains?"

Even Kapungu was surprised, "You…you want to march the old timers, the pregnant bitches, the mothers and the young cubs into the Pride Lands? By the morning?"

"Right", Shenzi sneered, "Don't argue, just get it done. Every last hyena, you understand me?"

Shock over, some of the more vicious hyenas, such as Banzai, Kapungu and Burudi leered and bared their teeth. The arrogant young male Ambika smirked.

"You know what I don't get? Where's that lunatic Ridikill? He's missing out on all of the action. He'd love this whole full-scale war thing. I haven't seen him today or yesterday so I guess he's keeping his ugly little face out of sight after that scene at the funeral".

"Whose face is ugly?" a voice snarled.

Ambika wheeled about to see Ridikill in front of him, baring his fangs and drooling. He was growling angrily.

"Woah…woah...wait…" Ambika backed away hurriedly, dragging himself away from the savage hyena, "I didn't meant that, honestly! I was just…uh…oh please don't kill me!"

"Not so cocky now eh?" Kapungu laughed.

"Knock it off you two", Shenzi ordered. She looked at Ridikill. She hadn't forgotten the humiliation she had suffered at the hands of Ridikill at the funeral. But hyenas were not only quick to anger and quick to laugh, they were also quick to forgive. Once a confrontation had flared up it was usually over.

Ridikill cackled, "Sorry boss. Just reminding this little sweetheart of his place. Anyway, what am I supposed to be missing out on?"

"We're rallying every hyena in the clan to march into the Pride Lands by the morning", Shenzi explained, "_Every_ hyena. Yeah, even the cubs and the pregnant ones and the elderly".

"Wonderful", Ridikill's tongue lolled out, "I've a score of my own to settle with these lions. What's my job?"

"You can help us rally everyone", Banzai growled, "And then when we start the march you and the other hunting chieftains will be in charge of keeping everyone in pace and making sure no-one wanders off or anything".

"With pleasure", Ridikill leered.

* * *

"I…I don't believe it…" Amaryllis gawked.

"I…I don't mean to be rude but we thought you were a goner!" Vitani exclaimed.

Ryana smiled, "I would have been if you and the other lionesses hadn't come to find and save me. Thank you".

"How…did this happen?" Amaryllis asked.

"Not easily explained", Nala said, trotting in, "Rafiki's good at what he does".

"See? See? Told ya Mom!" Amabi pranced around happily by Amaryllis' feet.

Vitani shook her head, "Where is this Rafiki? He needs all the Pride's congratulations!"

"He's gone", Nala said, "For now, at least. I don't think he's left the Pride Lands altogether yet, but who can tell with him?"

Amaryllis looked at the scars on Ryana's shoulder, "What a strange monkey".

Nala smiled, "You have no idea. Anyway, we should all get some sleep before we go on a hunt tomorrow. The males are beginning to whine".

"Well they'll have to go hungry for a few hours", Vitani mumbled, "We all need some rest. We'll go hunting tomorrow afternoon".

Nala nodded and padded out of the cave, "Alright. Sleep well girls".

* * *

Cauron rested in her cave in the Graveyard, one golden eye open. The middle-aged female hyena was heavily pregnant and her breathing was slightly laboured. She knew that she shouldn't have mated ahead of the majority of the clan but she had never been a hyena in complete control of her urges.

At any rate she was looking forward to being a mother again. She winced a little as she felt movement in her belly. She wondered how many cubs she was going to have. Three was likely but at times it felt like there were four rolling around inside her. She began to pant and her tongue hung from her mouth. It would come soon. A day or two, maybe. She was both nervous and eager.

The light at the mouth of her cave was suddenly blotted out. She looked up, squinting. The outline of a large hyena loomed over her in the darkness.

"Hello. What do you want?" Cauron asked politely, assuming that the hyena who was so bold as to enter her home while she was resting was likely of a far higher rank than her.

"You. You're needed, at Shenzi's summon", Ridikill grumbled.

"Uh…what for?" Cauron asked, wary now that she could see it was the notoriously brutal Ridikill.

"You'll find out soon enough".

"Can't you just tell me? I'm not exactly in the kinda condition to make needless journeys".

"This'll be far from needless. Now on your feet. The entire clan's assembling".

"The entire clan? Why?"

"I said you'll find out when you get there, didn't I?" Ridikill growled, "Come on, the sooner you get moving the sooner you can get your answers".

Cauron felt another struggle in her belly. She whimpered involuntarily. Ridikill rolled his baleful eyes.

"No…" Cauron said through gritted teeth, "I'm going to go into labour soon. I need my rest. Tell Shenzi I couldn't come. She'll understand".

"Oh no she won't. She wants _every_ hyena at the border!" I've got clear orders! Ridikill was becoming impatient, "Come on, weakling! On your feet!"

"Get out!" Cauron yelped, "Leave me alone! Shenzi wouldn't be so ruthless! You're making this up for your own amusement!"

Ridikill bared his teeth, "Is that right? You'll soon see. All the other infirm ones are getting rounded up too! And if you must know we're marching to _war_. _War_! War with those pathetic rock-cats of the Pride Lands! And we're going to need every hyena to win this war! You and all the other infirms included, if I have to drag you there myself!"

With that he clamped his jaws around the scruff of the bitch's neck. He heaved and dragged her easily out of the cave, growling with his mouth full of her fur. She screamed and twisted in his grasp, in agony at the unexpected rough treatment.

"No! No, stop!" Cauron shrieked and moaned, "Don't move me! I can feel them kicking! I could go into labour at any second! There's going to be four, I can feel it!"

Ridikill snarled, "Four? Good. We could use more troops for the battle".


	9. Marching

Author's notes: Another update. I'm sorry they're taking so long these days but I'm very busy. Not 'I'm so busy I won't be able to carry on' type busy but 'I'm so busy that I only rarely get chance to work on it' type busy. But hopefully soon that will change. I'll be getting a new pc (my current pc is riddled with viruses and spyware to an amazing level and is also 5 years old and was never very good to begin with) and then writing and posting stuff should be easier. Sadly I gotta get rid of this pc before I can get my new one, but with a bit of luck that should just be a one-week waiting period.

So, hopefully my next update shouldn't take too long. And once more thanks for the reviews, it really brightens my day when I check my e-mails in the morning and see some positive, insightful, well thought out reviews. Along with my recent lamentably uncompleted Star Wars fic this has gotta by my most successfully piece of writing so far. And the fic, I'm glad to say, is far from over. Anyway, enough of this.

Here's the character list.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer, former loner

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

* * *

Dawn was breaking. Another night's hunting was done for the nocturnal predators and another night of frightened watchfulness was done for the herds. In the boughs of an acacia tree Mali the leopard idly picked at the fresh carcass of an impala doe stashed in the branch with him. Blood dribbled down his velvety white chin and after a few more mouthfuls of flesh he licked at the stain disdainfully.

"Don't want to be like a filthy Cape dog or a hyena now, do I?" he grumbled to himself quietly.

A swallow in the same tree took to the wing in fright at the sound of his soft voice. He watched it go. After a while of staring into the rising sun he yawned and stretched.

"Well, best go check the border".

He performed a series of small hops to get out of the tree. He looked around warily once on the ground, then headed north.

As the official head of the leopards in Simba's Kingdom, Mali took it upon himself to look after their interests. One of those interests was seeing off rival predators. Hyenas were the main culprits as of late, and so for the last few weeks he had performed regular checks of the northern border, checking the tracks and the scent markings of hyena poachers so as to keep a tab on how many were entering the Pride Lands. At the next Chieftain's Convention he intended to present his findings to Simba.

The hyena incursions were becoming more common with each night and each night the number of interlopers would increase. But that had changed three days ago after Simba's glorious triumph over the invaders that had left a dozen or so dead. That had been…_wonderful._

Since then no hyenas had crossed the border, save one who had left in a seeming hurry. It hadn't returned last night so presumably the hyena was still at large within the Pride Lands. Mali was considering hunting the offender down and killing it.

As the leopard neared the border he heard something strange on the wind. It sounded like…laughing. Yes, there was no disputing it now. Hyenic laughing. He growled and pressed himself to the ground. It wouldn't do to be detected by the base mongrels, but on the other hand he wasn't about to be intimidated and creep away. He crawled closer, eager to investigate.

He spotted something in the dirt and examined it. Hyena tracks, heading towards the Graveyard. The size and shape of the prints matched those that had left a few days ago. So the invader had returned home. Interesting. He edged on.

As Mali got closer the laughter grew louder. Eventually he came to a high ridge, which rose above the actual "border". He crawled up the slope, listening carefully. There was a loud racket of chattering and bickering hyenas, but Mali could hear the harsh voices of the closest hyenas quite clearly; apparently they were standing some distance away from the main group.

"Hahahah! Well, here we are, ready to go! It's about time, too!"

"Yeah! We couldn't sit around and live off scraps forever, eh?"

"No, but I think this is crazy", another voice whined, "I'm too old for this sort of thing. Why can't we just pick on the herds to the North?"

"Because there _are_ no herds to the North anymore, old man!" the first voice snarled, "They've all gone to graze in the Pride Lands until the dry season is over! The place stays fresher than anywhere else, see? More water, more food".

"Which is exactly why _we_ want it", the second voice agreed.

"And none can stop us now! Not even Simba! We'll crush him and his precious lionesses forever!"

"Whoo-hahahaha! Imagine _us_ living in Pride Rock! Lording over the Pride Lands, picking at the bones of the lions every once in a while!"

"That sounds good to me", the third voice mumbled, "But still…me and the other old-timers, the pregnant bitches, the ill ones, the…the _children_. They don't belong here. They should be left at the Graveyard!"

"Argh, you old-timers need to get off your butts and do some real work once in a while!" the first voice barked, "But as for the cubs and the mothers-in-waiting…" the hyena lowered his voice so Mali had to strain his ears to hear him, "I see what you mean. I mean, what's the sense in bringing _them_ along? They'll only slow us down, and they're no good in a battle situation. But Shenzi insisted, apparently".

"Guess she just wants numbers to make up the ranks", the second voice grunted, "Intimidation will play as much a part in this as anything else".

"Garn! Here she comes now! Come on, you too old man! Let's go listen to what she's got to say. We'll be moving out soon, I'll warrant".

All of this was far too interesting to let Mali simply wander away now. Despite the risks he pulled himself over the ridge and looked down over the border. He gasped and pulled back at first, but then forced himself to peek back over the edge cautiously.

It was difficult to say how many hyenas there were. Most were lying around in a sandy crater, others were chatting in small groups away from the rest. The three that Mali had heard talking were heading back towards the main group. More hyenas were arriving as well, clambering over the rocky Graveyard border and trotting forward to join the assembled throng. Mali estimated that in total there were one hundred and fifty hyenas, of all ages and sizes. He'd never seen so many carnivores in one place at a time.

Three big individuals were stepping into the centre of the group. One was a female, the other two were males. Judging by their swaggering confidence and the way all the other hyenas looked up at them as they passed Mali supposed they were the clan leaders. They were followed by about fifteen fearsome-looking henchmen.

"Alright, everyone, shut up and listen!" one of the male leaders barked in a surly voice. The other hyenas all obliged.

The female turned to her fifteen followers, "Are you sure that's _all_ of them this time?"

"Yes boss", a savage looking male growled, "We went into the dens and dragged them out ourselves. Me and Agiza double-checked everywhere after we were done. There's no-one left behind".

"Hey, we _can _hear you, you know?!" one hyena snapped an objection from the crowd.

The leader bitch span about to look at the complainer, "You're _supposed_ to. Now shut up and listen up!"

"Alright, y'all know why we're here", she turned to the crowd, "We're marching on the Pride Lands. All of us. We don't stop for anything or anyone. We don't stop 'till we run into Big Cheese Simba and have a few words with him".

Many of the hyenas threw their heads back and howled their approval; "Oooooh-whup!" Others looked pensive or outright depressed.

"I'm gonna warn you now", the leader continued once the tumult had died down, "We will _not_ be slowed down and there will be _no _turning back for _anyone_. If you get tired or lose your nerve then our hunting chiefs", she gestured to her followers, "Are here to give a little 'encouragement' and some moral support".

"Boosting morale is what I do best", the savage male grinned, showing his repulsive saliva-dripping fangs. Mali cringed.

"Shut up Ridikill", the leader carried on, "So there's to be no complaining, no talking out of place and no stopping. We march until we get there. Seems harsh, I know. But guess what? It's a harsh world. And the reward will be worth it, ten times over".

"Damn right", one of the two male leaders at her side yelled, "We'll have food! Lots of food!"

Instantly the majority of the hyenas leapt to their feet and took up ghastly chanting, gnashing their teeth, howling, snarling and spitting. They sang in horrible voices:

"We'll have food! Lots of food! We repeat! Endless meat!"

Mali leapt back behind the ridge and covered his ears.

"Alright, now _march_!" the smooth voice of the leader called out over the baying.

There was another combined savage howl, and Mali heard the hyenas advance as one. They made a terrible racket, cackling and growling to themselves, and over the noise Mail could hear the hunting chiefs shouting at the infirm individuals who were already struggling to keep up.

Mali was frozen to the spot for a moment, huddled behind the ridge as the hyenas came closer and closer. It wasn't until he heard the tramping of clawed paws on the slope, kicking up stones as they clambered up towards him that he leapt to his feet and ran.

* * *

Shenzi's heart was pounding in her chest. Was this going to work? Would the clan follow her all the way on this risky mission? And would Banzai stop worrying so freakin' much?

She could tell he wasn't pleased with the way things were going. Despite his tough-guy attitude he cared more about others than he liked to show. That included all of the clan, and he wasn't happy about having to march out the infirm individuals military-style.

However, despite their arguments Banzai rarely questioned Shenzi's leadership. He knew that she was far sharper-witted and more cunning than he. He and Ed provided the muscle to carry her plans out. It worked so well that it hadn't been questioned since the days of Scar's rule.

Shenzi picked her way up the slope, looking back for a moment at the mass of grey-tan bodies trudging up the hill behind her. She was at the head of the army with Banzai and Ed. She had instructed the hunting chiefs to run up and down the ranks, making sure that everybody kept up and everything was in order. Although they were the fiercest and most skilled hunters in the clan even some of them were not happy about their brutal role in the savage march.

It couldn't be helped. This _had_ to be done. It was necessary. Shenzi had thought through every possible scenario she could imagine and this was the _only _choice they had.

She pulled herself over the edge of the ridge and looked over the Pride Lands that stretched before her. Although a little drier than usual they were wonderfully unspoiled. She scanned them eagerly.

Something caught her eye. Something moving away, and moving fast. She squinted and looked at it. A leopard. Running away south, probably to alert somebody to the invasion.

"What the…hey, a spy!" Banzai exclaimed, appearing next to her, "After him!"

"No!" Shenzi raised a paw in front of him "Let him go. You couldn't catch him".

"He'll get tired!" Banzai started forward.

"He'll just run up a tree".

"Yeah, but at least up there he can't go warning nobody!"

"What, Banzai, you think we can walk all the way to Pride Rock without being noticed? We were gonna be spotted sooner or later".

"I'd rather later than sooner!"

"It doesn't make a difference".

Banzai was beginning to get frustrated, "Look, you wanna drag us out here, that's fine, but you gotta let _us_ make some of the tactical decisions, okay?!"

The line of hyenas was beginning to pile up behind them. Shenzi grabbed Banzai's forepaw with her own and dragged him aside, allowing Ed to lead the hyena column on past them.

"Listen Banzai", Shenzi whispered, "Now, of all times, I need your support, okay?"

"You want my support? You got it. But I want…"

"No, listen, this ain't gonna sound good, but…" she sighed, "I need you to just shut up and do what I say, okay?"

Banzai glared, "Why should I?"

"Because I've got a plan. I know the idea of marching out the weak ones doesn't sit right with you. But I need you to trust me when I say it's our _only choice_. And I need you to trust me when I say I've got everything figured out and I need you to help me carry my plans out".

He paused, then nodded, "Sure. I can deal with that. But just tell me what those plans are first, okay?"

She shook her head, "Sorry, I can't".

"Why not?"

"Because…just…just trust me on that as well, okay?"

He scowled, openly angry with her now. At once she felt ashamed. For some reason she felt bad for making him angry. She didn't know why. She never had before. It showed in her eyes, although she didn't realize it.

Banzai looked her in the eyes, saw the pained expression and then nodded, slowly as if his head was very heavy, "Alright. Fine. I'll go along with everything you say".

There was a moment of uncertain silence between them. The tramp of marching hyenas nearby was suddenly very loud.

Shenzi placed an awkward paw on her friend's shoulder, "Thanks buddy", she said. With that she turned away and went to join Ed at the head of the column.

Banzai watched her go, "Uh…no sweat".

* * *

Zazu surveyed the Pride Lands from above, making observations to report to Simba in his morning report. He always woke early to do this. He usually scouted the southern half of the savannah first, but these days he did the north first in case there was turmoil regarding the hyenas of the Elephant Graveyard.

As he looked at the plains below, Zazu shook his head in disapproval. The Pride Lands were more crowded than he'd seen them in years. Apparently the dry season was so severe elsewhere that herds were migrating great distances this year to graze in the Pride Lands. While the Pride Lands welcomed most visitors, if the inflow of herds continued at the rate it was Zazu feared that the savannah would be left bare, perhaps permanently marred, after the herds left in the wet season. _If_ the herds decided to leave in the wet season.

Something caught Zazu's eye. In the shade of a fig tree grove lay a great Cape buffalo. His black body rippled with muscles and his horns were gleaming and sharp. Twin red eyes glared out from his inky black face below the massive bone boss where the two horns fused together. Few animals were more imposing than an adult bull buffalo.

Zazu flew down and landed lightly in front of the behemoth. As immeasurably larger the buffalo was than him Zazu knew he had nothing to fear from the wall of muscle, bone and horn that lay there eyeing him.

"Good morning Blueback. Sleep well?"

"As well as could be expected", the buffalo grunted back in its deep, chesty boom, "Come for news eh Zazu?" As the leader of the Pride Land's resident buffalo herd Blueback was an important figure and full of useful information.

"Correct. Anything strange or startling in these parts?"

Blueback snorted, "Nothing. Save of course for the fact that we're already elbow-to-elbow with the new herds. But I'm sure you know about that already".

"Well yes, hard to avoid it…"

Something bowled Zazu over. He had no idea what was going on until he found himself right-way up, pinned to the floor by clawed feet.

"Help! Help! Be warned, it's a crime against the monarchy to eat an official!" Zazu squawked.

Blueback bellowed and got up, tossing his head angrily.

"No, no, don't misunderstand!" Mali explained quickly, "I'm sorry for the introduction Zazu, but I'm in a hurry".

On closer, less panicky inspection both Zazu and Blueback recognized Mali as the head of the leopards and the respected councillor that he was.

"Mali…" Zazu gasped breathlessly, "Whatever news you're bearing, do you think you could see your way into getting off me before you share it?"

The leopard released the hornbill, "My apologies. But listen, you must get to King Simba. The hyenas have rallied into an army on the Northern border. There's well over one hundred of them! Every last one of them is on the move. They're coming to kill Simba and the lions and take over the Pride Lands!"

"What?!" Zazu shot into the air, "Oh no! What do we do, what do we do?"

"There's no doubt about their intentions", Mali continued, "I heard them with my own ears. They'll go slow as they have weak ones with them, but before the day is over they'll be halfway to Pride Rock, by my reckoning".

Blueback's red eyes were wide, "It's the job of the King and his pride to defend the Pride Lands. We grazers can't intervene".

"Right…right! Simba…defend! Yes, yes, that's right!" Zazu flew in little circles in the air in a frenzy, "I'll go tell Simba they'll coming! That's what I'll do! I'll go now!"

"I'll spread the word to the herds to get out of the way of the hyenas", Blueback declared.

"And I'm…getting the hell out of here", Mali said, and in the next instant he shot up the nearest fig tree and leapt across to the next one. In a moment he was gone. As respected as he was, as with all lone predators self-preservation came first.

Zazu flapped clumsily to hover above Blueback, "Right, Blueback! Tell the herds just in case the hyenas decide to detour to prey on them. I'll warn Simba that he's got to rally for war".

With that the hornbill shot off in the direction of Pride Rock, spurred on by terror.

* * *

"Okay, next question. Who'd win a fight: Kovu or me?" Tumai asked.

"That's easy; Kovu", Juvi replied instantly.

"Oh come on! He's still young!"

"He's got just as much battle experience as you, if not more", Salama pointed out.

Tumai, Salama, Juvi, Haya and Maradi were lounging around in a sun-baked outcropping of Pride Rock. They were bored, and were killing time by asking each other pointless hypothetical questions as they were prone to do.

"Okay, I got a better question: me and Haya versus Simba?" said Juvi.

"Simba", Tumai, Salama and Maradi chorused.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go with Simba as well", Haya shrugged.

"Okay, these 'versus' questions are stupid", Maradi interjected, "Here's a good question: who's better-looking, Vitani or Sharhal?"

There was a moment of quiet contemplation, "Vitani", the males said one after another eventually.

"Kiara or Vitani?"

"Kiara", they all chorused.

"Vitani or Amaryllis?"

"Amaryllis".

"Amaryllis or Kiara?"

"Kiara".

"What about me?" Kiara asked, appearing suddenly around a corner..

Immediately the males fell silent and looked away. It didn't bode well to be found talking about the Princess in such a fashion.

Kiara looked at the males quizzically. She was still a little naïve in such matters. After a moment she shrugged.

"Hey, where's Lokanneoro? He usually hangs around with you guys".

"I believe he's talking to his son Tenzer", Salama answered.

"Bit of a tender moment, I should imagine", Haya grunted.

"Ah yeah", Kiara lowered her head, "Poor Tenzer. Apparently he feels responsible for what happened to Ryana".

Juvi nodded, "Uh-huh. Lokanneoro's trying to talk some sense into the young fella".

"If you ask me we don't have time for such weakness", Tumai snorted, "We need to be ready to fight the hyenas. They've made it pretty clear that they want to take this conflict to the next level, and we should be ready for them".

"If you ask _me_ I think the hyenas have had enough punishment for a long time". Kiara said.

"It's a good thing no-one's asking you then, isn't it?" Tumai retorted, turning away.

Kiara scowled at the aggressive male, "Well, whatever. I'm going to see my Dad. If you see him or Kovu, tell them I'm looking for them".

She walked away. The lions watched her go. When she was out of earshot Haya turned to the others.

"Okay. Kiara or Aetti?"

* * *

"March! March! March!"

The monotonous shouting of the hunting chieftains alone was enough to drive a hyena crazy, let alone the painful slog across the Pride Lands with the sun beating down on them and only the promise of violent battle before them. Their stamping paws kicked up dust and dirt that swirled in the stifling air around them, irritating the hyenas.

"March! March! March!"

The chiefs ran back and forth along the lines, their physical hardiness proving its worth. Already however the pregnant bitches were at the rear of the ranks, puffing and wheezing and groaning.

"Come on!" Agiza snapped, although it pained her to be so cruel, "Move your feet! Just keep moving and think of the food you'll feast on!"

"Nonsense!" Ridikill barked, surging up from behind, "Just keep thinking about my teeth in your heels! Move it, come on, move it, move it!"

Agiza shot a look of warning at Ridikill. He just grinned and leered back at her.

"Come on!" another chief snarled, "We're not even one tenth of the way there yet! And believe me, you _will_ get there!"

"One way or another", Ridikill bared his teeth.

From within the ranks Burudi looked back at Ridikill. The hyena was really in his element, bullying others and using not only his brute strength but his unrivalled ruthlessness too. It was getting the job done. There was a reason Shenzi kept such a potential liability around.

"March! March! March!"

From the front Ed looked back at the marching hyenas with dismay. He leaned in close to Shenzi and whined.

"I know it ain't pretty Ed, but you know it's gotta be done".

"March! March! March!"

Shenzi took a look back at the dispirited ranks and winced.

"March! March! _March_!"

* * *

"Uh…Dad? What are you doing?" Kiara asked.

Simba span about to look at his daughter, looking mortified. Timon and Pumbaa looked shamefacedly at each other and began to creep away.

"Dad? Uh…what are you eating?" Kiara stared. They were beneath the shade of Pride Rock, where the ground was boggy and the leaf-litter was thick. Kiara had walked in on her father, Timon and Pumbaa rooting around under a log for something and bickering. Simba's jaws bulged obviously despite him trying to hide it.

"Uh…nothing?" Simba mumbled, but even as he did a beetle crawled out between his teeth and flew off.

"Dad?! Are you eating…bugs?"

"…Maybe…"

"Eww, Dad! That's _gross_!"

Simba swallowed his mouthful of invertebrates, looking incredibly sheepish, "Uh…don't tell your mother".

Kiara looked at her father, her King, with worm juice and chunks of beetle shell splattered across his noble face. She burst into laughter.

She was cut short by a squawk from above. Simba, Kiara, Timon and Pumbaa looked up and saw Zazu plummet down towards them. He rocketed down and crashed at Simba's feet.

"Nice landing", Timon jibed.

"Sire!" Zazu gasped, "The hyenas are coming! All of them!"

"What? Hyenas?" Simba wiped the bug juice off his face with his forepaw, "What do you mean?"

Zazu stoop up and took a few deep breaths, "Forgive me, sire. Mali the leopard told me. He heard them himself, plotting to invade. A massive hyena army".

Simba frowned, "What? You're sure? How many?"

"Don't know for certain, but according to Mali well over one hundred. He says all the Graveyard must be emptied. They're heading this way and they mean business".

Kiara, Timon and Pumbaa exchanged looks of worry.

"When will they be here?"

"Not sure, but they've already left. Their progress is hampered because apparently they've taken unfit animals with them, but they must still be crossing the Pride Lands at some speed".

A low growl sounded in Simba's chest, "So it comes to this. I didn't think they'd be so bold so soon".

"What do we do, Daddy?" Kiara asked, remembering Tumai's words of warning with dread.

"The only thing we can. We have to fight. Every willing lion must be ready to meet them in battle".

"So the term 'lion' excludes us, right?" Pumbaa grunted, looking a little disappointed.

"So does the term 'willing'!" Timon yelled.

"Right you are, sire!" Zazu admired Simba for his decisiveness, although he wasn't about to admit it in front of the young lion, "I'll go and rally the pride!"

"No need, Zazu", Simba stood up tall and inhaled deeply, "This should do the trick, even if they're a fair way away from Pride Rock".

He roared. Timon clasped his hands over his ears and Pumbaa plunged his head into the dirt. Kiara flinched. She'd never heard anything so loud, so fearsome and so mighty. The bellow echoed off Pride Rock and seemed to rattle the earth. The sound carried on and on long after Simba had finished. It was a call, a summon to arms. No lion within fifteen miles could have failed to hear it.

"That should do it", Simba smiled, once again Kiara's kindly father as opposed to a mighty King.

Kiara looked up at him, stunned, "Daddy…are we going to be able to defeat the hyenas?"

"I don't know. We should be able to if enough lions are willing to fight to defend the Pride Lands".

"I'll fight", Kiara flexed her claws and bared her teeth.

"Kiara, I couldn't bear to see you get hurt. I'd like you to stay behind and look after the cubs. Someone needs to protect our future, and as the Princess you're the one who will carry on our line if…"

"Sorry Dad", Kiara shook her head, "I'm not staying behind while you and Mom and Kovu go off to fight for our freedom. I'm coming with you".

"But…"

"End of discussion, Dad. Find someone else to baby-sit", she smiled exactly like her mother, reminding Simba that she was a grown lion now.

"Alright, Kiara. Timon, Pumbaa, there's something very important I want you to do for me…"

"We're way ahead of you Simba", Timon reared up and puffed out his chest, "We'll hold the fort while you sally forth, general. We'll make sure no filthy hyena comes within a mile of the cubs! We'll protect the future of the pride with our lives!" he saluted.

"That's an elaborate way to say, 'sure, we'll baby-sit for you'", Simba smiled. He knew Timon was relieved to be excused from having to march out and fight an army of hyenas.

And who could blame him? Simba felt the cold grip of uncertainty touch him. There was every chance that by tomorrow the monarchy of the Pride Lands would be just a memory, cruelly mocked by the victorious hyenas.

* * *

"March! March! March!"

The hyenas had been crossing the Pride Lands for a few hours. The dreary shouting of the chieftains never ceased. It was getting hotter and tensions were running high in the crowd of jostling, cursing hyenas.

"If those scumbags shout 'march!' one more time I'm gonna lose my temper!" one snapped.

"Argh! Show some backbone! This is for everyone's benefit. So shut up and keep your thoughts to yourself".

"You watch your mouth! The clan could do with getting rid of a few dead-beats like you!"

"March! March! March!" the voices droned on.

"Garn! I'm starting to get angry!" the first hyena snapped.

"And I'm starting to get fed up of your whining!" the second retorted.

"Is that so?" without another word the first hyena leapt on her companion and bowled him over. The pair rolled around, biting and tearing at each other. The hyenas behind them walked right over them, tripped, stumbled and fell, snarling and cursing. They landed in a jostling, twisting pile of furious, snapping hyenas. Their companions nearby looked on and jeered as a brawl erupted.

"Break it up! Break it up! Break it up!" the nearest chief shouted, shoving her way through the crowd. She was ignored and the dozen or so hyenas continued to whirl around in their skirmish.

Ridikill and two other chiefs rammed their way through the onlookers and waded into the troublemakers, trying to separate the fighters with their bodies. Confusion and shouting ensued and eventually the entire hyena procession was brought to a halt.

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed ran through the ranks and threw themselves into the fight. With the help of the chiefs they managed to separate the fighters by shoving them away from each other.

"Knock it off, all of you!" Shenzi yelled.

"Can't you guys do your jobs right?" Banzai glared at the chiefs, particularly Ridikill, "I'll have your guts if you don't shut this rabble down!" Ridikill glared back at him wordlessly.

After a little more shoving and angry muttering the troublemakers returned to their places in the ranks.

"Can't we have a rest now? Everyone's tired and cranky", Banzai whispered in Shenzi's ear.

"No way", Shenzi shook her head, "We keep moving. We don't stop for nothing".

"But at this rate we'll all be too exhausted to fight! Look at the weaklings!"

He nodded in the direction of the pregnant bitches, the cubs and the elder hyenas. They had collapsed on their sides and were wheezing heavily, grateful for the chance to rest their feet. The younger cubs were suckling from their mothers.

Shenzi looked on for a moment, then turned to Ridikill, "Chief".

"Yeah?"

"Prepare to move out. And we're moving too slowly".

He nodded, "I'll pick up the pace".

Banzai stared, "Shenzi! Did you listen to a word I just said?!"

She didn't answer. She headed back to the front of the ranks, Ed just behind.

"Alright, everyone! On your feet! All of you, you lazy maggots!" Ridikill barked, "We're moving out, and this time you're all gonna move faster or you'll answer to me! Move it! Come on! March! March! March!"

Banzai shook his head, looking at Shenzi. What the hell was wrong with her? Sure, she was always insensitive but she wasn't completely heartless. This was ruthlessness on a scale Banzai hadn't seen in any creature save Scar.

"March! March! March!"

Reluctantly Banzai went to join Shenzi and Ed, keeping to his pledge to 'shut up and do as she told him'. But as he drew level with his companions there was a strange, faint noise on the wind.

"What's that?" Banzai stopped in his tracks. The entire clan followed suit.

They strained their ears. It was very faint, many miles distant but unmistakable. The roar of a male lion.

The clan waited in silence for a moment as the echoes faded. No-one moved, all lost in their own thoughts, fears and insecurities.

At last Banzai snarled, "So, Simba knows we're here. And he's on the move. That's just freakin' great, Shenz", he turned to look at his companion

Shenzi looked back at him and smiled slowly, "You're right. That's more than great. That's…_excellent_".


	10. Meeting

At last! New chapter uploaded at last. I apologize for the long delay. I recently turned in my old computer and got a new one, which left me without access to a computer for a while. And after that, I didn't have access to Microsoft Word for a while either. And then I went through a little period of writer's block.

So here it is at last. Everything finally happens in this chapter but hopefully I can still surprise some of ya. Also since I wrote this chapter over a rather staggered period of time I hope the writing's consistent in it.

So, I hope it didn't take so long that I lost my readers! Please comment if you're still reading and enjoying it.

Here's the character list.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer, former loner

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

* * *

The column of hyenas marched deeper into the Kingdom of Lions. Any doubts or murmurs of dissention caused by the roar of the distant Lion King had been quickly quashed by the brutality of the chieftains.

As they went deeper into the Pride Lands they passed more and more herds. It was difficult for even the chieftains to focus on the task ahead with such temptation nearby. Vultures perched in the trees watched them pass with rapt interest. Terrified wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, impala, topi, and all manner of antelope and other grazers watched in grim horror at the unexpected sight, ready to take to their heels at the first sign of an attack. The larger herbivores, the buffalo, the rhino, the giraffe and the elephants, refused to be so easily cowed, but their calves ran for the comfort of their mother's and even the staunchest bulls, glaring at the hyenas seemingly impassively, were shocked by the size of the hyena army as it stormed past.

There was no question as to where they were heading. They were marching directly to Pride Rock.

In the ranks things were becoming a little less tense; the sight of so many assembled prey species, staring at the hyenas in fear, was urging many of the hyenas on. They had reverted to mannerisms more typical of a hunting party than an army: drooling, leering, sniggering, cackling, whooping and cracking jokes occasionally.

"Alright! If we just get a slice of _this_ cake it'll all be worth it!" Banzai declared, staring at a group of agitated wildebeest.

Ed laughed in agreement. Shenzi didn't say anything.

Banzai furrowed his brow and looked at his friend. She looked the same as ever, except her usual smug expression was gone and she looked deep in thought instead. But there was something just so odd about the way she was acting. She was evading his questions, and she seemed driven by a ruthlessness Banzai hadn't seen in her before, to be so merciless as to be prepared to sacrifice her most feeble followers. Banzai watched her silent progress across the plains with a painful mixture of concern and anger.

Running up and down the ranks was Ridikill, still barking orders and ensuring nobody held the pack up. Two cubs at the rear of the army suddenly stopped, huddling up together and whining. They were too tired to move another step.

Ridikill glared at them and then charged back down the ranks towards the two youngsters. In sheer terror the two cubs jumped back into line and forced themselves to drag their little bodies on. The big chief grinned, flashing his teeth; he relished the effect his presence had.

As he turned around he saw they were passing near the river, several hundred yards to his left. He stopped for a moment to look. He could see the big, broad backs of many giant hippos, and in amongst them the smaller forms of armoured crocodiles. Several crocodiles were basking on the sand banks, appearing completely oblivious to the hyena force marching by. In reality of course they were acutely aware of everything going on around them.

The hyena strained his eyes, trying to see if Mamacala was in amongst the crowd. There was no sign of the giant crocodile. He was probably further downriver. With a grunt Ridikill resumed his place in alongside the ranks. Even he was beginning to feel tired now – he found himself beginning to pant. But he was impressed with the new-found ruthlessness of Shenzi and ignored his bodies' complaints and forced himself forward.

* * *

At the foot of Pride Rock the lions assembled. Every last lion – from the mightiest male to the youngest cub and everyone in between. Over twenty lions were already gathered in a circle around King Simba, and more were still arriving.

Each of them had heard Simba's mighty roar and had come running to see what was going on. Mothers came with their cubs in their mouths, the elderly loped down from the shade of Pride Rock, the hunters came sprinting back from the savannah and the males leapt into action, standing to attention as a salute to Simba. Nala, Timon and Pumbaa stood next to Simba, with Zazu perched on his shoulder. The lions kept whispering and asking one another what was going on, but Simba told them to wait until everybody was assembled so all could hear.

Amabi trotted alongside his adopted mother Amaryllis, more than a little intimidated by the grim faces of the powerful lions striding past them to reach Simba. His mother scooped him up in her jaws and ran after them, taking her place in the throng. Even Ryana, recently recovered from an injury as she was, arrived despite protests from her mother and a guilt-ridden Tenzer.

Zazu was performing a headcount, "Thirty nine…forty two…forty six. That's all the adults and half-growns, sire", he said to Simba.

Simba nodded, "Good. We're all here", he spoke up, hushing the whispering crowd immediately, "Hail all. You're all here because of my summon a few moments ago. I thank you all for coming so soon".

"What's going on, Simba?" Tumai growled impatiently, encouraging a warning glance from Nala.

"Zazu brings grave news. A few hours ago hyenas were sighted crossing into the Pride Lands", already growls rose from the crowd, "However, this is no normal hunting pack. All of the Elephant Graveyard must be emptied. There are over one hundred hyenas en-route to Pride Rock even as we speak".

The lionesses gasped in horror, the cubs squealed in terror, even the males stared with slack-jawed disbelief. Ryana pressed her face into Tenzer's flank, remembering the horror of the hyena's fangs tearing into her flesh. Amabi scuttled behind Amaryllis' forelegs and cowered.

"Please, don't panic", Simba raised a great paw, "We need to rationally discuss our next course of action. Suggestions?"

None of the lions spoke up. The only sound to be heard was of wailing cubs.

"They'll kill all of us", Aetti suddenly moaned, "That's what they're here for. To kill us all. It's an act of war. They'll kill _all of us_".

"That's right, they will", Nala said, "_If_ we let them have their way. We can't do that. We have to _fight_".

"Easy for you to say", one of the lionesses snapped, "You don't have any young cubs who depend on you".

"If we don't defeat the hyenas they'll kill your cubs as well", Tumai shot back with brutal honesty, driving a spear of terror into the hearts of all the mothers.

"My proposal is simple", Simba stepped forward, regaining control of the situation, "We march out and meet them as far away from Pride Rock as we can with as many able fighters as we can gather. We leave behind the cubs and the unwilling".

"What kind of support can we expect from the herds?" Haya asked.

"None. This is not their fight. The lions are sworn to defend the herds from the hyenas, in return for being allowed to prey on them. We must fight this battle on our own".

Haya looked annoyed, "All it would take is one bull elephant. Or a pair of rhinos, or three or four buffalos…"

"Maybe the hyenas aren't here to fight", Amaryllis murmured, interrupting Haya, "Maybe they're here to…negotiate?"

As she spoke a twisting black cloud appeared on the horizon, "What's that?" Kiara wondered, staring at it.

All of the lions turned to look. The cloud was moving in a circling motion, almost like a tornado in slow-motion. The lions peered at it, trying to discern it, remote yet threatening on the horizon.

At last Kovu sat down on his haunches, "Vultures. Hundreds of them".

Simba stared, "Vultures? What are they doing…?"

"They're following the hyenas", Salama said quietly.

Silence fell on the group at the grim image of a flock of grisly vultures circling over an army of cackling hyenas advancing on the lion's home branded itself in their minds.

"Sire. You need to make a decision", Zazu said quietly after a moment.

* * *

"March! March! March!"

"Alright already! 'March!' We get the idea! That's what we're doin'!" one annoyed hyena snarled from within the ranks at the nearest chieftain, "That's what we've been doin' for the last couple of hours!"

"I wish they'd get lost", another hyena grumbled and looked up at the sky, which was fairly dotted with vultures swooping overhead, "They're creepy".

"Kinda ominous too", Shungi, the rookie pack leader agreed, "I mean, they're like messengers of death or something".

"Word gets around fast. Either that or these things can just _sense_ death before it happens", Sarkil said and then shuddered slightly.

Pride Rock was clearly visible to all the hyenas who still had the strength to raise their heads and peer into the distance now. Many of them were wondering whether or not Simba had heard of their invasion yet.

Cauron, wincing and literally dragging her bloated belly forward, was in far too much distress to think about anything but the end of the hideous march. She couldn't understand why she was being forced to accompany this war band while so heavily pregnant, but she was too terrified of the vicious chieftains to question it anymore. As far as she knew, she was being forced on one last horrific journey, and upon arrival she would be torn apart by lions. But she was too weak to question Shenzi's madness anymore.

* * *

"The threat is very clear. The hyena's intentions are obvious. And their tactics are clear. They want to take over the Pride Lands – by force".

Simba was addressing the assembled group. He was hating every second of it – what he was about to ask, he knew, would weigh heavily on his conscience for the rest of his life: however long or short that would be.

"What I am about to ask excludes every lion under two years of age, as well as Timon and Pumbaa. To everyone else: I'm asking you to join me in a fighting force to meet the hyenas in battle. The intent will be to drive the hyenas from the Pride Lands through their own means – by force.

"However, realize that I'm not ordering you to come with me. I am asking you to. If you wish to stay behind, then by all means do so. If you wish to stay behind, please sit over to my right."

Slowly the youngsters picked themselves up and went down to sit aside along with Timon and Pumbaa. The youngsters ranged from cubs younger than Amabi to adolescents like Ryana. Simba nearly smiled. Not a single adult lion had chosen to remain behind at Pride Rock.

Nala narrowed her eyes, "Tenzer, you're not two years old yet".

"Oh…come on, Queen Nala! Please let me go too!"

"Go sit down with the cubs, son", Lokanneoro admonished. With his head down the restless youngster stalked off and slumped down with the cubs.

"Alright, we don't have much time", Simba declared, "The further we can halt the hyenas from Pride Rock, the better. We'll leave at once and head north until we spot them. They won't be hard to find.

"The youngsters will remain here. Tenzer, you're in charge. Zazu, you will come with us and watch the battle from a place of safety. If…things don't go to plan, Zazu, you will leave immediately and fly towards Pride Rock and alert Tenzer. Tenzer, after that you're to immediately lead everyone directly south, as fast as you can, until you leave the Pride Lands through the southern border. Understood?"

"You can rely on me sire", Zazu said gravely.

"Yes sir", Tenzer bowed slightly, slightly overwhelmed by the responsibility on his shoulders.

"Good. As I said, we don't have much time", the King turned away, "I'll give you all a moment".

Immediately mothers leapt forward and cradled crying infants, fathers placed reassuring paws on the shoulders of their heartbroken sons. Children whispered goodbye to their aunties and grandmothers.

Amaryllis grabbed Amabi and hugged him tight to her chest, "I'll be back soon son, I promise".

His tears wet her grey fur, "Mommy, be careful".

"I will. I'll be fine, son".

Ridikill bared his flesh-ripping teeth. He'd suddenly remembered the lioness who'd humiliated him the day before. Rage surged through his veins and his blood boiled. To be reduced to a state of fear by a female lion! How repugnant!

His revenge would be sweet. When the battle was underway he'd seek her out, wait until she was weighed down by his comrades, then throw himself at her and tear out her vitals. When she lay dying in the grass he'd make sure she saw who had killed her.

_Nobody_ got the better of Ridikill, not for long. Nobody made him feel weak. Except for Mamacala. But he didn't count.

At any rate, that lioness was going to _pay_.

Those two minutes of tearful goodbyes were probably the most painful moment of Simba's life since he 'confessed' for being responsible for Mufasa's death in front of his family, friends, his evil uncle and one hundred hyenas.

He turned away for most of it, head held low. Nala went to his side and rubbed up against him, brushing her muzzle up against his tenderly. Gratefully he nuzzled her back, never wanting the moment to end.

After what seemed like far too short a time to maybe say goodbye, Zazu said quietly, "Sire. Everyone's ready".

Simba raised his head, tears stinging his eyes, and looked at the youngsters, "Alright. Good luck everyone. Tenzer, take care of them".

Tenzer nodded gravely.

"Everybody, move out", Simba ordered, and with a few last painful glances the lions bounded away from Pride Rock, streaking across the Pride Lands.

Ryana watched them go, "…Mom…please be okay…"

"She'll be fine", Tenzer said, "It'll take more than a few mangy hyenas to bring down King Simba's pride!"

Most of the cubs were crying. Amabi had managed to ease his own tears, but he could offer no comfort. All he could do was slump down on the bare rock and pray for Amaryllis' safe return.

* * *

In one of the Pride Land's many waterholes a cloud of agitated storks flew overhead. They were crying a song of war and death, spreading the news of the impending battle across the Pride Lands. Below them several crocodiles floated on the surface, staring up at the storks with emotionless green eyes.

"Well, it's finally happened", one growled, "The lions and hyenas have gone to war".

A carpet of green lilies suddenly shifted nearby and the prehistoric eye of Mamacala peered out.

"Maybe. Or…maybe not", he whispered to himself.

* * *

Half an hour had passed. The lions were still moving at speed across the Pride Lands, keeping their ears and eyes strained for signs of the hyenas. So far there was nothing – just the cloud of vultures in the distance.

"Alright, everyone slow down", Simba said at last, "We walk the rest of the way. We need to conserve our energy".

Everyone obeyed. They walked on in silence. They passed a herd of Cape buffalo. Buffalo and lions were natural enemies – buffalo were one of the few herd animals who were more than a match for even multiple lions, while lions working in a group were the only plains hunters who could threaten adult buffalo. But there were no ill feelings here – only unspoken support from the stern herbivores.

"I still think one or two of them could help out", Haya grumbled under his breath, eyeing the sharp horns on the bulls.

"What's our plan of attack?" Salama asked, trotting up to catch up with Simba.

"We don't have one. We won't attack. We will defend".

"Oh come on!" Tumai dashed over, "_They're _the invaders. They have us on the back foot. We can't just sit there and wait for them to run on over and chomp us".

"We won't", Simba replied, talking loud enough now so that all the lions could hear him, "If the hyenas charge us, then we wait until they're within twenty meters and then charge back. That should be enough space to gain the momentum we need".

Tumai nodded, impressed, "Okay. Then what?"

"We fight our hardest and don't let them gain any headway. The hyenas might be fierce and they've got numbers but they're not brave. Self-preservation always comes first. They'll get frightened if we don't let them gain any ground and they'll rout".

There was a general murmur of agreement from the lions. Nala stirred.

"One problem: the hyenas have us badly outnumbered. They might send some to sneak around and flank us. If they attack us from different sides then they'll be able to bring their numbers to bear".

"If that's the case…" Simba paused and furrowed his brow, "We'll form a circle with everyone facing outwards. That way they'll be facing a wall of claws everywhere they try to attack".

* * *

"So…any battle plans Shenz?" Banzai asked meekly.

"Nope", Shenzi shook her head.

"Uhm…really?"

"Yup".

"Oh", Banzai turned to Ed and whispered in his mangy ear, "Dude, there's something wrong with Shenzi! I mean, seriously wrong! She's going nuts!"

Ed shook his head and sniggered.

Banzai scowled, "Well, clearly you're no use either", he whirled about to look at Shenzi again, "Shenz, we gotta make plans! Who knows when we're gonna run into the lions? Everyone's…"

"Shenzi! Banzai! Ed!" Agiza barked suddenly, "You need to see this! Away down south!"

"Huh?" Shenzi looked up and peered south.

The plains were not so barren here: a wide expanse of arid scrubland and acacia trees lay before the hyenas. The thick crop of trees obscured vision for nearly a mile.

Banzai looked as well, craning his neck, "What? I don't see nothing! I…oh. _Oh_".

He had just caught sight of what looked suspiciously like over thirty adult lions emerge from the scrubland about five hundred meters away. The lions suddenly halted: evidently they had just caught sight of the hyenas themselves.

Banzai gulped. The lions had appeared so suddenly out of the scrub. It was difficult to make out from where he was standing, but there were more lions there than he had anticipated: or at least they looked more intimidating than he'd imagined. King Simba at the front was unmistakable. They were moving again now, marching forward with seemingly no sign of wariness.

"Uh-oh", Banzai muttered.

* * *

The lions stalked through the scrub, keeping their eyes and ears strained for any sight of the hyenas. Now they were in amongst the trees they could no longer see the tell-tale cloud of vultures and had little idea where the hyenas were exactly.

"This is giving me the creeps", Vitani whispered, looking from side to side as if she expected to see dozens of hyenas explode out of the bush at any moment.

Amaryllis nodded, "We should have gone around the scrub, not through it".

"Nuh-uh", Kovu said, "The hyenas won't expect this, if they're as close as we think they are".

"Yeah, you're right", Kiara agreed, "We all need to take it easy. If we get all panicky then…oh my God!"

Kiara stared in slack-hawed horror. The others followed her gaze. The scrub had ended abruptly, providing a good view of the wide plains before them. Maybe five hundred meters away marched the hyena army. It was the largest gathering of hyenas the Pride Lands had ever seen, even greater than the superclan that had assisted Scar. Over one hundred and fifty hyenas in total.

"Nobody move a muscle!" Simba boomed, "Don't show them fear!"

The entire hyena army had halted.

"Now, everyone walk calmly towards them, as one", Simba ordered, "It'll rattle them if we remain composed".

* * *

"Oh man, they don't even look bothered!" Banzai groaned as he eyed the approaching lions, "Shenz, we need orders. We gotta give everyone orders, otherwise everyone's gonna panic and run".

Shenzi nodded, "Alright. The orders are to stay put".

"We need more orders than that!" Babaka snarled, coming up suddenly from behind, ""Do we prepare to attack, prepare to retreat, protect the weak, send them in first, flank the enemy? What are we supposed to do?"

The lions were two hundred yards away by now. Nervous fidgeting ran through the hyena ranks. No matter how many of them there were the adult lions were imposing sights – several hundred pounds of muscle with fangs and claws to boot.

Shenzi turned to look at Babaka, "You remember your place. And my orders are the same. Everyone stay where they are".

Banzai could have screamed in frustration. He had assumed Shenzi would have snapped out of whatever dull stupor had taken her over during the march across the Pride Lands by the time they drew within sight of Pride Rock. Now here they were with King Simba's army so close Banzai could see the individual whiskers on each lion's grim face.

"Oh…oh man", Banzai despaired, "Shenzi, I dunno what's up with you, but ya gotta snap out of it. Right now!"

She looked at him with her half-lidded questioning eyes, "Nothing's up with me".

"Then why ain't ya got any battle plans? It was your idea to fight this battle!"

"Fight?" Shenzi stared long and hard at Banzai and slowly shook her head, "You really ain't worked it out yet, have you Banzai?"

By now the attention of every hyena who wasn't nearly unconscious with fatigue was directed at the exchange between Shenzi and Banzai. Ed stood meekly to one side. The lions stopped within one hundred yards of the hyenas and stood, motionless.

"Figured what out?" Banzai asked, dumbfounded.

Shenzi continued, seemingly oblivious of anyone else, "I didn't drag us out here to _fight_. We're here to _talk_".

Shock struck the crowd of hyenas dumb. The lions stirred and looked at each other, wondering if they had heard correctly.

"To…_talk_?" Banzai gaped.

"Yes Banzai, to talk".

"What do you mean to…to…?"

Simba cleared his throat and stepped forward, "You wish to negotiate?"

Shenzi faced the King, "Uh-huh. That's right".

"Well…uh…" Simba's brow furrowed as he scrambled for the right words, "This is…most unexpected. But I am willing to listen if you…"

"Shenzi, what are you doing?! We're not here to _talk_! We're here to fight!" Banzai exclaimed, interrupting Simba.

"No we're not, you moron. And try not to interrupt official negotiations, okay? This is grown-up talk", she grinned a patronizing grin at him.

"What the…?" Banzai stared in bewildered rage, then rounded on Ed, "You! Did you know about this?!"

Ed nodded enthusiastically.

"Why…why did you keep this from me?!" Banzai snarled, spinning to face Shenzi with fury in his eyes, "Why did you keep this from all of us?" he gestured wildly at the assembled clan, who were looking on with blank confusion.

Shenzi glared at him, "Because I knew if I told you _why_ I was leading us out here you'd say it was stupid and refuse to go. And that goes for the majority of you lot, too", she said to the clan in general.

The lions stared on in bewilderment.

"But…but…why the weaklings? Why did you bring them if not to fill our ranks?" Banzai demanded.

"You'll see", the clan leader turned to face the King again.

"Well then", she said smoothly, "What shall we talk about?"


	11. Diplomacy

Author's notes: Well, once again I'm late with the chapter. I apologize but this one was very difficult to write. But I'm very grateful to see I've still got some of my old reviewers! That was a big worry of mine. Now let's just hope I can keep your interest. Here's the character list again.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer, former loner

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

* * *

The leader of the lions stared at the leader of the hyenas, and vice versa. Simba tilted his head slightly and growled audibly, "How do I know this isn't a trick?"

Shenzi shrugged, "You don't, I guess. Although you can take it from the surprise of my associates that it's for real".

"Your friend could be a very fine actor", Simba nodded in the direction of Banzai.

"Trust me, he's not a 'very fine' _anything_".

The lion looked the male hyena over once, "Point taken".

"Hey!" Banzai objected.

"Enough of this garbage!" Vitani snapped from within the crowd of still-speechless lions, speaking for many of them, "Find out what they _want_".

"Oh, yes, um…", Simba cleared his throat, "Why do you seek to open negotiations with us?"

"Not so fast", Shenzi leered, "We should introduce ourselves. You are…?"

"You know perfectly well who he is", Kovu barked.

The lions were beginning to overcome their shock and it was fast turning into anger. Who were these bandits and marauders to think they could hold an audience with the rulers of the Pride Lands and talk to the King in such tones?

The hyenas too were rousing: what was their leader doing? They'd all expected to fight a fearsome battle here today, but their own leader had lied to them: apparently she had marched them all out here under horrific conditions just because she wanted to chat and act big in front of their enemy. But many, particularly 'the weaklings' were relieved and threw themselves to the floor and lay there panting and gasping.

"I am Simba, King of Pride Rock and the Pride Lands", Simba said, calmly complying with the hyena's wishes and ignoring the dissention from both sides, "I can speak for the lions of the Pride Lands. And you are…?"

"I'm Shenzi, and this is Banzai, and this is Ed", she nodded at her two companions: Ed snapped into a mock salute, tongue sticking out from between two teeth. After a moment he collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"Come on Simba honey", Shenzi crooned, paying no heed to the indignant rumblings from the lions, "Surely you remember _me_?" she reared up and assumed her most impressive pose; neck stretching up, head facing forward, chest puffed out.

"Remember you?" Simba looked nonplussed, "Why, have we met before?"

Shenzi's composure wavered, but she managed to pull it together, "You kid. The three of us were the ones who ambushed ya in the Graveyard when you were just a cub. Remember?"

He nodded, "Yeah, of course. Well, I remember you two", he pointed to Ed and Banzai with his paw, "But I'm having trouble recalling you. You must just have a very forgettable face".

Unexpectedly to most of the lions the hyena clan erupted in sniggering and hooting: they quickly forgot tension when a joke was cracked, even at the expense of their leader. Banzai in particular was amused by the way Shenzi's cocky air completely vanished and her face contorted into an angry snarl in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"They're weird", Aetti whispered to Amaryllis as they watched the hyenas roar with laughter.

Simba inclined his head towards Nala and winked: as she'd expected Simba hadn't really forgotten who Shenzi was, he'd just been turning the hyena's ego against her to knock her down a few pegs.

Shenzi, lips curled back, teeth bared and eyes narrowed, took a few deep breaths. She knew perfectly well what Simba was playing at by pretending not to remember her; but _she_ was in control of this situation. She wasn't about to let the lion get the better of her: the negotiations depended on her ability to trade witticisms with him. So after a few deep shuddering exhales she relaxed and forced a casual smile.

"Alright, knock it off guys, you've had your fun", she said to the clan before turning back to Simba, "Funny. You got a sense of humour. I like that in a guy".

Nala glared viciously at her; Shenzi picked up on it and all of a sudden she had her chink in Simba's armour.

She took a few meek steps towards the King, swaying her hips deliberately to overemphasize her physique, "Who'd have thought it; humour in a lion, and the King nonetheless? You sure do have it all; a sense of humour, authority, charm, not to mention good looks. You're quite a catch, sugar".

Without thinking Nala leapt forward and planted herself between Shenzi and Simba, "What is this: I thought you said you were here to negotiate, not flirt!" she snarled jealously.

The hyenas instantly burst into another fit of laughter, enjoying Nala's discomfort, but they weren't the only ones: several of the lions sniggered as well, although they were shortly silenced by warning glances from their comrades.

On Amaryllis' left side was Maradi. He was chuckling quietly, his shoulders heaving as he tried to stop himself from exploding into laughter. Amaryllis brutally elbowed him in the ribs and with a yelp he settled back down.

Nala stood there, staring daggers at Shenzi, still in an aggressive crouched position. She realized how ridiculous she looked, how easily she had been baited by the hyena bitch; to actually think she was really trying to flirt with her husband? The hyena grinned at her and winked. Fuming but defeated and ashamed Nala slunk back to sit behind Simba, who had sat watching the events utterly perplexed.

When the last snorts of laughter had died down form both sides, Shenzi reassumed her cocky stance, pleased with how she'd managed to make the King and Queen look foolish. She could sense the growing confidence in her from her followers, including the disillusioned Banzai, which relieved her.

"Anyway, we got things to discuss. You wanna know what we're here to negotiate for? That's simple. We want rights to hunt on the Pride Lands".

An uproar rose from the lions: snarling, spitting, growling and muffled roars. Several of the bolder individuals even took steps towards the hyenas. For hyenas to be allowed to hunt on the Pride Lands was an unimaginable crime against the laws of nature to them. The mere suggestion of it was enough to send most of them into a rage.

Simba had expected the answer, and he nodded gravely, "I thought as much. Well, we'll see what you have to say. I assume you three speak for the entire clan?"

Shenzi nodded, "Yup, we're the clan leaders. The rest of 'em follow us".

"No we do _not_!" a voice roared.

Everyone fell silent and turned to look at its source. Ridikill the hyena was standing apart from the clan, with his legs far apart in a tensed stance, his mane bristling, his teeth bared, his eyes blazing.

From within the crowd of lions Amaryllis craned her neck to get a good look at the hyena. It looked like the one she'd ran into twice: the one who'd called himself by the unflattering name of 'Ridikill'. She squinted her eyes. Was it him?

Shenzi looked at the rebellious male, "What do you mean, 'we do not'?" she demanded to know.

"You heard me!" he marched towards her, shouting, "You…_you_…what do you think you're playing at?! You drag us out here to _talk!_ What kind of leader are you?!"

"She's the kinda leader whose orders _you_ follow, pal", Banzai reminded, walking towards him to intercept him.

Ridikill didn't even look at him but stormed straight past him, bumping him with his shoulder as he advanced, "I don't take orders from you! Not any more!" he snarled at Shenzi, "None of us need to! I came here to fight, not talk! How dare you lie to us?"

"You know, if you actually think about it, I never once said we were going to fight anyone", Shenzi replied smoothly, "I just said to rally everyone. I didn't say what we were marching here for".

"You _knew_ what you were doing!" Ridikill was so furious now that he was spitting as he spoke, "You take the coward's way out if you like! But I'm gonna make mincemeat of every lion here, by myself I have to!"

The bewildered lions watching the exchange began to tense up, getting ready to kill the insolent hyena if he attacked.

Ridikill shoved his face into Shenzi's, "You weakling! It's about time someone replaced you!"

"Like who?" Shenzi replied, seemingly undisturbed, "You, Ridikill?"

At the mention of the hyena's name Amaryllis' suspicions were confirmed. She was finding this little confrontation very interesting: it looked to her like Ridikill was an exceptionally aggressive individual anyway, and wasn't a fair representative of his species. That actually soothed her nerves somewhat.

"Yes, me, Shenzi!" Ridikill snapped.

Banzai laughed, "Who'd ever follow you? You're hated in this clan. It's only 'cos you're a decent hunter we let you keep your high rank".

Ridikill span about to face him, "Hatred leads to fear, and fear is the keystone of all good leadership! And it's something you three goons lack these days! I'll restore respect to this miserable clan, starting by winning this battle!" he looked over his shoulder and bellowed, "Hyenas, attack!"

With that he charged at top speed towards the waiting throng of lions without the slightest hint of hesitation or fear. Not a single hyena followed him. He didn't seem to notice.

Shenzi glowered. Such disobedience made her leadership look weak, and weakness was something she couldn't afford to show now, in front of her adversaries. She turned to Ed.

"Ed, stop him".

Instantly Ed galloped after Ridikill. Before the upstart could reach the waiting lion ranks the grizzled clan leader was on him.

Ridikill was strong and battle fury was on him. He whirled about to face his pursuer and snapped his jaws. However Ed was unperturbed by his opponent's savagery and bowled into him with his superior strength, tackling him to the floor. Their was a brief exchanged of kicking, gnashing teeth and writhing bodies, but after a few seconds it ended with Ed gripping Ridikill's neck in his jaws and pinning him down with his forelegs.

Ridikill struggled and twisted, foaming at the mouth, "Garn…let go of me you fool!"

Ed dragged him to one side, ignoring the struggling chief's protests, and resumed pinning him. Shenzi nodded her thanks to Ed. He somehow managed to grin despite gripping Ridikill's neck in his teeth.

Kovu laughed suddenly, "It would seem your leadership isn't all you say it is, hyena".

Shenzi cleared her throat, "I assure you the views of this…individual don't reflect those of the rest of the clan, and certainly not the leadership".

Simba shook his head, "I'm not convinced, and until I am I'm not about to open negotiations with you".

"You don't need to open negotiations with them at all", Tumai pointed out, "Why are we wasting our time _talking _to these ill-bred freaks?"

"I have to say I agree with that on principal", Zazu snorted, lighting on Simba's shoulder, "However, royal protocol does demand the King listen to all foreign dignitaries, ambassadors and negotiators".

"Forget the royal protocols! They deserve a taste of what they did to Ryana!" Tumai snapped.

There was a general growl of agreement from the lions.

"And you deserve a taste of what you did to my brother Vidiku and the other ten you killed!" Shungi the female hyena shrieked.

The hyena crowd whooped in approval.

"Woah, woah, everyone calm down", Shenzi reasoned, "Let's just give this a chance, yeah? Don't kill it before it gets started!"

Simba raised a paw to restrain his restless pride, "Listen to what she says, guys. But at any rate, Missus Shenzi, I'm still not convinced the views of your follower", he gestured at the still-struggling Ridikill, "Are not representative of a significant portion of your clan".

"Well…uh…they're just…not", Shenzi was unprepared for such a scenario: she didn't expect to have to prove the intentions of her entire clan, especially since she wasn't even convinced of them herself.

Simba raised one eyebrow, "I have only your word on that".

"I can vouch for this".

Two hundred faces turned to look at the speaker. Amaryllis stood meekly at the front of the lion ranks.

"Huh? You can?" Banzai wondered.

"You, Amaryllis? How?" Simba asked.

The lioness cleared her throat and spoke up, "I've come across the hyena called 'Ridikill' recently".

"You…" an unearthly snarl came from Ridikill as he managed to wriggle his head so he could look up and see Amaryllis.

"I've spoken to him and he told me himself that he was considered an overly-aggressive outsider", Amaryllis continued, "An antisocial thug, from my own observations. I think it's fair to take their word in this matter".

Simba looked at her, then nodded, "Alright, I think that's fair evidence. Thank you Amaryllis".

Amaryllis nodded and stepped back into the crowd. _Why_ had she done that? Helped out the hyenas? It wasn't like she wanted them in the Pride Lands. That was the last thing she wanted, what with young Amabi to raise. She didn't share such a passionate hatred for hyenas as most of her pride, but she was certainly not overly-fond of them.

She could see out of the corner of her eyes several of the other lions glowering at her. What was she playing at, helping along the negotiations? She looked to Vitani, but only received a particularly hurtful glare. So she'd alienated her best friend too. Great.

She could also notice many of the hyenas, including the three leaders, looking at her quizzically. How did she know Ridikill? And what's more, why would she be inclined to engage in a conversation with such an aggressive animal?

But as she glanced at the hunting chieftain writing on the floor beneath his leader, she felt the unmistakable pang of…pity.

Suddenly Ridikill surged to his feet, wrenching away from a surprised Ed and he turned to face him, Shenzi and Banzai, "Bah! Fine, proceed with your pathetic negotiations! But words are a waste of time when we could be fighting and winning! Winning through strength! Strength is all that matters. Everything else is just a delusion for the weak".

"Everything except fighting is a delusion for the weak? Oh my, what a misguided creature you are!"

Everybody's attention was once again drawn to one voice: however nobody knew where the strange voice had come from. Everyone looked back and forth, trying to identify the speaker. At last a shape dropped from the trees and landed in front of Simba.

"Rafiki!" the King exclaimed, "I thought you'd left the Pride Lands by now!"

"Oh, not yet, but soon enough. But this occasion was far too interesting to pass up! Lions and hyenas: sitting down and talking like civilised creatures! As if they can stand each other's presence! Hoo-hahahaha, this is worth witnessing!"

"Hey, whose the monkey and what the heck's he doing here?" Banzai wanted to know, speaking for the rest of his clan.

"Uh…good question", Nala muttered, still taken aback at the baboon's sudden appearance, "He's…a friend of the family. How long have you been listening Rafiki?"

Rafiki hopped over towards the hyenas without a hint of fear, "Long enough. Pleased to meet you madam", he took a surprised Shenzi by the paw and shook it.

Banzai turned to Shenzi, "Alright, what's the deal? Now we're negotiating with a monkey?"

"Hey, don't look at me! How was I supposed to know?" she looked at Simba, "Can't you make this…_thing_ go away?" Rafiki was still warmly shaking her paw with his wizened hand. She snatched her paw away and looked at him ruefully.

"Oh now, don't be so grumpy", the baboon pinched her cheek like she was a naughty child, ignoring her indignant growl.

Ridikill snorted, "Well, you look quite the fool now don't you o great and cunning leader, eh?" he threw his head back and laughed.

Rafiki bounded over towards him, surprising him, "Ah yes, you. You're an odd one aren't you?"

"Me, odd? Looks whose talking!" Ridikill chuckled, pleased with himself: his loss of dignity during his struggle with Ed had made him eager to regain respect by kicking down others.

Rafiki grinned, "That was quite an interesting little philosophy you spouted back there".

"What, you mean, about strength being the only thing that matters?"

"Yes. And 'everything else is'….?"

"Just a delusion for the weak".

"I see, I see", Rafiki stroked his beard and nodded slowly, eyes closed, completely at ease despite being positioned next to one hundred and fifty hyenas who would gladly eat him at a moment's notice, given the chance.

At last he opened his eyes and peered at Ridikill, "I recognize the 'wisdom' of Mamacala in your words".

"_What_?!" Ridikill's jaw hung open, "Mamacal…how…how do you know about Mamacala?!"

Rafiki chortled and trotted away, "I'd wager five hundred gourds I know Mamacala better than you".

All the other hyenas and lions watched this exchange in utter confusion. Ridikill's lieutenant Burudi frowned. Who or what was 'Mamacala'? He knew Ridikill better than anyone else in the clan and he'd never heard Ridikill mention 'Mamacala'.

"Mamacala?" Simba wondered, "Zazu, isn't he the representative of the crocodiles in the Pride Lands?"

"Yes sire, he is", the hornbill confirmed.

"How come I've never heard of him before?" Kiara asked.

"Because he rarely, if ever, attends meetings", Zazu explained, "Keeps himself to himself. A little strange, they say, but nothing wrong with him, per se. He always says he's just too tired to walk to the meetings, and he's not required to turn up more than twice a year anyway".

"'Nothing wrong with him?'" Rafiki shook his head, "There's much wrong about Mamacala. His words are like poison, his mind a storm of hate and his presence a dirge to his victims. Great evil lurks in Mamacala's soul".

Ridikill grunted dismissively, "Nonsense".

Rafiki's eyes closed as if he was in deep thought, "We will see. You may live to regret your loyalty to him. Then again, you might not realize that until it is too late. All Mamacala needs is one second for you to drop your guard and _snap_!" the baboon clapped his hands together close to the hyena's nose.

Ridikill started, surprised, then regained himself, "Don't you play games with me, old man! Grrrargh!" he hurled himself at the monkey, teeth bared before any had a chance to cry out to warn Rafiki.

But the baboon was not there when Ridikill pounced. He was standing behind the hyena, walking nonchalantly away.

"Grr…how did you do that?!" the furious chieftain demanded.

"Oh, come now, you're losing your temper. Is that what Mamacala would want? I'm sure he's always told you to keep your emotions in check".

Ridikill was breathing hard. The baboon was infuriating. How did he know Mamacala and seem to know the details of the crocodile's tutelage?

"Anyway, enough about old Mamacala. Forgive the interruption", he bowed low to the bemused hyena leader trio, "Please, continue with the negotiations".

* * *

In the crocodile-infested waterhole not far away from the tenuous negotiations a strange shape scythed through the water. It was large, sinuous and scaly, but it was no crocodile. The dimmed sunlight revealed the shape of a massive snake wallowing in the scummy water.

Few snakes would dare swim so boldly in the presence of so many crocs; however this snake enjoyed special protection: to attack it was to invoke the wrath of Mamacala. So the lesser crocodiles grudgingly drifted out of the way of the giant serpent.

The sunlight broke through the canopy of nearby acacia trees for a moment and bathed the waterhole in light. The snake reared up the front third of its length and for a moment it presented a ghoulish image – towering over the pool, swathed in red light, forked tongue flicking out, emotionless eyes staring out. The rock python was a magnificent specimen of his kind, over twenty feet long and very thick in diameter. The golden scales were dappled with dark brown and black patterns, and the broad head vibrantly marked. He was at once terrible and beautiful to look at.

To add to the eerie scene the ancient crocodile Mamacala suddenly surfaced in front of the snake, little streams of water running from his armoured back. The pair floated on the surface, looking at each other.

The crocodile didn't move, "Well?"

The python spoke in a raspy, dry voice, "Lord Mamacala. I bring you news".

"Good Kachero. You've been prompt as usual. Proceed".

"The lion and hyena armies have met, but as you predicted they're engaged in diplomacy. There's evidence the hyenas are actually trying to contain violence".

Mamacala chuckled, "Ridikill must be vomiting in disgust".

"I'm afraid I can't verify that myself, my Lord", the python lowered the front third of its body again so that it lay flat on the surface of the water, "I'm relying on Oocheva the plover bird for this information. He's watching the scene from a perch in a tree. But he's always proved accurate in his reports so I believe we can trust him".

"Yes, yes, I don't doubt your sources", Mamacala knew Kachero prided himself on his spy network throughout the Pride Lands and further afield. Mamacala had little idea how it worked but he didn't care so long as it proved reliable – so far it had. The crocodile had lied to Ridikill when he said he relied on only idle gossip for news; in fact he was the benefactor of a well-groomed channel of intelligence, with agents ranging from tiny fragile plover birds to giant pythons like Kachero.

"There's something else you need to know", Kachero whispered in his grating voice, "Oocheva says there's a strange looking baboon there".

The crocodile was silent for a moment before murmuring, "A strange looking baboon eh?"

"Yes my Lord. Oocheva didn't offer a more detailed description so that doesn't necessarily mean…"

"Oh it _is_ him. Only he would be so audacious as to get involved in a dispute between two hundred angry carnivores. My my, what a rare delight. Old Rafiki's finally back in the Pride Lands eh?" the crocodile shifted slightly and the malice in his voice was impossible to miss now, "That absurd little monkey who fancies himself a rival to me. How rude!"

The crocodile's giant spined tail shot into the air and hung there for a moment, dripping red-tinted water, before it crashed back down, slashing the surface of the waterhole.

Kachero recoiled warily from the sudden movement. As with Ridikill and indeed all of Mamacala's agents, he never counted himself completely safe from being on the crocodile's menu.

"Well, what does it matter anyway?" Mamacala said, calm as usual again, "Head back to Oocheva and get his next report, and then return to me".

"As you command Mamacala", the serpent whisked his body around and swept across the waterhole.

* * *

Night was beginning to fall. The negotiations were finally underway. Simba and several of the more prominent pride members were sitting facing Shenzi, Banzai, Ed and some of their chieftains. Nobody noticed a tiny plover bird perched on an overhanging acacia tree, listening intently and cocking its head whenever a new speaker was heard.

"I respect you for your willingness to participate in civil negotiations instead of resorting to violence, which you're clearly capable of", Simba was saying, "However, I fail to see _why_ we should even listen to you. You have proven yourselves to be nothing but a menace to the wellbeing of the Pride Lands in recent days".

"You ain't nothing but a menace to the herds you prey on and they put up with you. Explain that", Agiza pointed out, and was rewarded with a warm smile from Shenzi.

"We are not just a menace", Nala explained, "We have arrangements with them: to them, the privilege of grazing in the lush Pride Lands far outweighs our predation".

"Yeah, and one of the arrangements involves keeping _you_ guys out", Vitani growled.

"And I don't wish to upset my subjects", the King intoned.

Agiza gave a disgruntled snort, "I ain't buying that. You just want the herds, with all their nice juicy young calves, all to your selves".

"And what's wrong with that?" Salama the elder male lion objected, "I've not heard of many examples of dominant predators inviting a large number of their rivals into their territory. It's absurd, and I suspect you wouldn't grant us that luxury if the situations were reversed."

There was a murmur of agreement from the assembled lions.

Shenzi smiled her slow smile, "You've got us all wrong if you think that".

"Oh, because you've shown nothing but goodwill to us lions recently have you?" Vitani demanded incredulously, "Poor Ryana was mauled almost to death! You tried to eat several cubs one night! How can you expect us to let you share our hunting grounds when _that's _how you conduct yourself?"

The murmur rose to a half-roar.

"Well…those incidents were unfortunate, I admit", the hyena swallowed: she hadn't been looking forward to trying to excuse her own bloodlust in wounding Ryana, "And it's true: they show a lack of control on our behalf. But on the other hand: you killed eleven of our pack members in retaliation. We didn't _kill _anyone".

"Not for lack of trying", Nala said, outwardly calmly composed, but the tip of her tail was beginning to twitch impatiently.

Several hyenas from Ridikill's hunting pack began to chuckle to themselves: they were openly proud of the carnage they'd come so close to inflicting on the night they chased several defenceless lion cubs up a tree.

Ridikill himself was pacing impatiently up and down the ranks, casting foul looks at anyone who was in his way. Burudi and Groco tried to motion to him to sit down and cool off, but he ignored them. He glared up at Rafiki sitting in a tree overhead, listening intently to the exchange. How much did the baboon know?

"But anyway, we're the ones who lost our brothers and sisters", Shenzi went on, "But if you're willing to show us mercy now, we're willing to overlook past grievances".

""Yeah! Wait, we are?" Banzai looked at Shenzi. They both knew how hard some of the clan had taken the deaths of their family and friends. Banzai, like the majority of hyenas present, was now willing to give negotiations a chance if it meant they'd be allowed access to the Pride Lands, but there were certain concessions that couldn't be made so easily.

"That's one way of looking at it", Kovu said before any hyenas could grumble in protest, "Here's another way: we don't get along. So perhaps it's best we stay out of each other's paths?"

There were nodding heads - from both sides. Shenzi scowled at the young lion.

"Listen here, kid, leave this to the adults why don't ya?"

Instantly she realized her mistake: she had lost her composure for a moment. Resorting to name-calling made her look silly next to the King.

As if he could read her mind, Simba shook his head, "I'm sorry, you're not convincing me".

"See? This was a stupid idea!" Ridikill barked suddenly.

"Hey, didn't I tell you to shut up..." Shenzi turned to look at the offender but by losing her temper and snapping she was only making herself look worse.

"Hey, I think he's right", Tumai laughed, "This _was_ a stupid idea. Lions and hyenas don't get along, and this all seems kinda silly now. So why don't you all run off home before things get nasty?"

The lion's mocking laugh was shredding Shenzi's nerves: instinctively she found her hackles raised, her body quivering and her teeth bared. A low growl came from her throat.

Vitani observed the hyena bitch's discomfort and pressed the attack, "That's right. I mean, at the end of the day, you can't come up with a single good reason for us to even _listen_ to your demands, let alone _agree_ to them".

Almost everybody in the two assembled throngs recognized that the negotiations had come to a crashing halt, and it was mostly due to Shenzi's inability to control her temper when under attack. Individuals on both sides tensed, ready for a fight-or-flight situation.

"What about the ecological advantages?" a strange, dopey voice said.

Everybody looked at its source. It was Ed.

"You see, the Pride Lands offer unrivalled grazing to the herds", the hyena continued, "So why should herds further afield be expected to remain content with their meagre lot in life?"

The entire hyena clan stared at the ragged-eared leader with open jaws, except for Shenzi and Banzai, who looked merely surprised as opposed to struck dumb with amazement.

Ed went on talking eloquently despite his ridiculous slobbering voice, "Herds from miles around migrate to the Pride Lands for plentiful food and water, and this is increased exponentially during the dry season. This year in particular has seen a vast inflow of herds. But any right-minded creature can see that not so many will be leaving when the dry season ends. Why should they leave? Life's so easy here for them".

"If this dynamic continues, I imagine that in two or three years the Pride Lands will be stripped bare, perhaps permanently ruined".

"Stripped bare? You mean like it was when you guys settled into Pride Rock under Scar's leadership?" Nala pointed out.

"Oh, surely you can't blame a severe drought on _us_", Ed continued the debate single-handed, "What effect do predators have on the seasons? None. But anyway, my point is that you face the same devastation unless some action is taken to control the herds".

"You mean you guys preying on them?" Vitani narrowed her eyes, "To control their numbers? We do that just fine on our own".

"I don't call your hunting skills into question and I never will", Ed said politely, "But I do ask you to consider this: you are relatively few, and so are the leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs. You can only do so much. With our hunting packs trimming the herds down to size as well, we will at least substantially reduce the chances of the Pride Lands suffering irreparable damage".

Groco turned to Burudi and whispered, "Since when can that guy talk?"

Burudi shrugged, equally confused.

Simba nodded, impressed by the hyena's logic, "Perhaps there's some truth in what you say. Please continue".

"If you'll forgive me I'll sit this one out. My two colleagues can take it from here", Ed turned and stepped back a few paces, nodding once at Shenzi and Banzai, and sat back down on his haunches.

Instantly his tongue protruded from between his lips and drool dripped from his teeth. The alert look in his eyes was gone and replaced by his usual spaced-out countenance.

Banzai shrugged his maned shoulders and said quietly, "Nice going man".

Ed laughed loudly as he furiously scratched himself with his hind leg.

Shenzi drew her gaze from Ed and turned it back to Simba, "Um…anyway, you take my 'colleague's' point?"

"Yes, I concede it is a valid point".

"Sounds over-dramatic to me", Haya called out, "The Pride Lands stripped bare? Not in this lifetime".

"It's happened before and it can happen again", Shenzi replied smoothly: she had taken advantage of the respite Ed's little speech had granted her to calm down, regain her composure and rethink her tactics.

Nala looked at her husband. She knew the strange hyena's argument had swayed him slightly. It had surprised everyone, but Nala knew that most of the lions were still dead-set against granting the hyenas access to the Pride Lands, and many were unwilling to even listen to their demands. It was one thing to convince the compassionate Simba of something: it was quite another to convince a pack of young, impetuous hunters to grant their rivals concessions.

Banzai could see the pressure Shenzi was under. Not only was she having to convince her mortal enemies her proposal was a good idea - she had to convince her own followers. He'd been silent throughout most of the negotiations, following Shenzi's advice to keep quiet and stay out of the way. His volatile, easily riled nature was not suited to diplomacy. However, he'd dropped his misgivings about Shenzi's ruse and even her lying to him and the rest of the clan. He couldn't remain quiet anymore: to do so would suggest divided leadership, and that was something the hyena trio could ill-afford.

He knew little about subtlety and discretion and rules and laws, but more so than the cool, aloof Shenzi he followed his feelings and knew a thing or two about how to appeal to a fellow creature's compassion.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward, "Hey, King-y, don't forget that this is all just hyperfetishical".

Shenzi looked at him, aghast, "_Hypothetical_!"

"Right, right, hypothetical. My point is we ain't asking for unlimited access to the Pride Lands forever and ever. What we need is a trial period to prove our intentions to ya. If you'd be willing to let us have that, then we'd do our best to keep to your terms".

Simba looked thoughtful. Shenzi arched an eyebrow at Banzai: she was impressed. She hadn't thought of that.

After a moment of quiet Simba said, "Suppose I ask you to name your exact demands…"

"Wait, no!" Vitani roared, "Don't listen to them!"

"If you let them gain a foothold now we'll never get rid of them!" Tumai exclaimed, "Don't be a fool!"

Simba was stung to wrath by the hot-headed Tumai calling him a 'fool'. He whirled around, snarling angrily. Tumai quickly crouched low, not expecting such an aggressive response.

"I am _not_ letting them gain anything!" Simba snapped, "I am asking to hear their demands. What kind of King would I be if I rejected or accepted terms without hearing them first?" he turned back to the hyenas, "Please name your terms".

"We ask for, as my colleague said, a limited trial period to prove our intentions and the advantages of having us around to you", Shenzi said, "We're asking for four…no, six weeks of freedom to live and hunt in the Pride Lands without persecution as a trial period. We'd be allowed all the liberties of all your other subjects – but of course we'd abide by your laws. After the trial period is over, there would be a review and debate over whether or not we'd be allowed access on a more regular basis", Shenzi took a deep breath. She hated talking with such articulation for so long. She wasn't one to mince her words normally. It reminded her of talking to Scar in his last, insane days.

"And the current hostilities?"

"They'd cease, if you so wish".

Simba tossed his head and paced a few impatient steps. Nala and the host of lions watched in silence. The Queen peered at her King's face, trying to discern his mood. He seemed to be genuinely impressed with the reasoning and diplomatic approaches of the hyenas. Nala's heart began to beat faster: what would life be like for them if the hyenas were allowed into the Pride Lands to do as they pleased?

Just as the horrible thought really sank in for the first time, Simba looked up at the hyenas, "No, I'm sorry. I'm not convinced".

Shenzi squinted, "Oh?"

"No. You haven't convinced me you _need_ access to the Pride Lands. I understand your argument about maintaining the ecological balance, but why do _you_ want access to the hunting grounds? Not out of the goodness of your hearts, some overriding concern of yours to protect the Circle of Life, I'm sure".

The hyena bitch blinked, "Isn't it obvious? We're hungry".

"Maybe, but you don't appear to be suffering. You look reasonably well-fed, albeit through poaching. I'm not prepared to throw the Pride Lands into potential chaos to satisfy already full bellies".

"We're not all so fortunate", Shenzi replied, and she leered slyly. Banzai caught the look and suddenly he understood something that had been confusing him since even before they left the Graveyard.

"Cauron, would you come here please?" Shenzi said, keeping her eyes locked onto Simba's.

No answer came from within the hyena crowd. Shenzi waited, then after a moment she wrinkled her nose and turned around to glare at her clan.

"Where's Cauron?"

"Over here, boss", a dog hyena spoke up from the rear of the crowd.

"Well? Get her to come out here!"

"She can't…she's…um…well…you know".

Shenzi scowled. She had planned, from the beginning, to use the 'weaklings' of the clan to provide the much-needed sympathy factor she knew they'd need to win over the lions. She'd noticed Cauron lagging behind during the clan's march: a pretty young female who was heavily pregnant, a victim of her own natural weakness, the very picture of exhaustion and suffering. Shenzi was going to use her as the poster-girl for the injustice of the hyena's situation.

So why wasn't she able to step up front and be used a trump card? Shenzi wondered. Unless it was because…oh.

The leader hyena strode through the ranks, out of sight of the lions. Everybody cleared out of her way. At the back she came across Cauron, standing next to the sheepish looking dog hyena who'd answered Shenzi. Cauron was lying on her side, panting heavily, eyes dilated, tears in the corners of her eyes; drool was puddled around her gaping jaws and she was groaning in exertion.

Shenzi took one look between her legs to confirm her suspicions. She looked up at the dog hyena, "She's in labour".

"That's right, ma'am".

"How'd you know her?"

"Well…I…err…"

"You're the father?"

"Um…well…I am…a bit, yeah".

"Moron", Shenzi turned away, full of disdain for the cowardly male and then an idea caught her: she could still use Cauron. In fact, this was even better than she could have hoped for.

"Hey, King-y, come here!" she hollered at Simba.

Simba peered through the crowd to try and spot her, "Come where?"

"Over here", Shenzi jumped up to balance on her rear legs for a moment, so she was outlined at the rear of the one hundred and fifty strong crowd of hyenas.

Simba took a step towards the hyena clan. Instinct on both sides took over for a brief moment: all the hyenas saw was a large male lion, their worst natural enemy, stepping confidently towards them, and all the lions saw was their pride leader heading towards a line of crushing teeth, bone-crunching jaws and evil intentions.

In an instant every lion was on its feet and several charged several metres forward. The hyenas raised their hackles and bayed loudly, gnashing their teeth.

"Oh come on cut it out! Grow up!" Shenzi snapped, as if she was addressing a sulking cub instead of dozens of powerful predators, "Ain't we above this kinda thing by now? Come on King-y, this way".

The lions and hyenas stopped and retreated a few steps, muttering angrily. Simba stepped into the hyena mob: they stepped aside for him grudgingly.

"Fine, but don't call me 'King-y'" Simba said to Shenzi.

He went to her side, standing over Cauron. Shenzi waved her paw in Cauron's direction.

"Now come on. Ain't that the most pathetic sight you ever did see?"

Simba looked as if he was about to turn green: he'd never witnessed a birth before. Such matters were kept private in lion livelihood. He looked at Shenzi, keeping his field of vision fully restricted to her so he couldn't see any of the birth.

"Why are you showing me this?"

"To prove to you that we _need_ access to the Pride Lands. Cauron is one of the earlier births taking place this year. They'll be a big rush of 'em in a few months. We struggle to feed ourselves as it is, and each day food gets harder and harder to find. With all these new arrivals, we're simply not gonna cope. Brand new mommas ain't gonna have enough milk to feed their young, and the little ones will starve", she picked herself up and began pointing at other members of the clan.

"Or him over there, that old-timer. He's got another year in him maybe, but that'll be maybe three months if he doesn't get regular food. Or those two little darlings there, they've been weaned and they need plenty of grub to quieten their grumbling little tummies at night. Or her, yeah, her over there, she's sick, dunno what from, but she gets weak pretty quick without food. And then there's…"

She went on, pointing out various members of the clan. The lion crowd was out of earshot, and they strained forward eagerly to pick up anything they could.

Banzai sighed. He'd worked out in the last few moments before she'd revealed her intentions that Shenzi had brought the weaklings along to play the sympathy card with Simba. It seemed pretty cruel to him, dragging them out here just to use them in this fashion, but it was a damn sight less cruel than making them fight. But it didn't make Shenzi any less shameless.

Simba looked over the ailing members of the hyena clan as Shenzi pointed them out. At last he turned away, interrupting her mid-sentence, and padded back through the hyena ranks.

Shenzi froze. Hadn't it worked? She trotted after him.

"Hey? Hey! King-y! I ain't finished! You listening? You gonna turn your back on 'em? King-y?"

"I told you not to call me 'King-y'", Simba shot back. He strode into the no-man's land – the ground between the lion and hyena throng.

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed approached him, "Hey, you're just gonna ignore all those poor unfortunates?" Shenzi pressed.

"No. I won't ignore their plight. I see your plan for what it is – a shallow attempt to gain my favour through pity. And what's worse is that _you're _the one who forced them out here, if you are indeed the leader, and so you've forced them through great hardship in an attempt to gain what you want".

If Shenzi could have flushed she would have, "I did it for them as well, I did it for all of us", she spat.

"I hope that's true, because if it's not you're a terrible leader".

"Hey pal, back off!" Banzai growled, even though he privately thought Simba was making some sense, "She's a damn good leader and she did what's best for everyone".

"Maybe", Simba hung his head; he looked deep in thought.

There was silence on both sides. Everybody knew the fateful announcement was coming. Only Rafiki, sitting up high on a baobab tree, playing with his toes and singing quietly, made any noise.

"I've made my decision", Simba said at last, and he spoke loudly so all could hear him plainly, "I hereby grant the hyena clan of the Elephant Graveyard access to the Pride Lands for six weeks. They will have unlimited access…"

Shocked gasps and roars of protest from the lion crowd interrupted him; he raised his voice and quietened them down.

"They will have unlimited access to live, hunt and set up homes as they please. They will abide by the laws of the Pride Lands and will gain all the benefits granted to Pride Landers; in effect, they will _be_ Pride Landers for the six week period.

"However, understand that this is not a declaration of peace between lion and hyena. Lion and hyena cannot live too closely and in harmony. We still have the rights to interact as rival predators if we feel we should. However, for the moment we will disperse peacefully.

"I will meet with the leaders of the Elephant Graveyard clan at nightfall in precisely two weeks from now at this spot: we will discuss the situation further at this date. After the six week period is over, we will review the matter to see whether or not the situation can be applied on a more permanent basis", he took a deep breath and recited the words that his father had told him were always said when laws or rules were applied in the Pride Lands, "The word of the King is final".

With that he turned away and, walking between Nala and Kiara, he headed for home. Mother and daughter looked at each other, wordless for a moment, then followed him, Kovu close behind.

The hyena clan didn't say anything. The entire group, with the exception of those in critical conditions such as Cauron, were looking in Simba's direction with wide eyes and pricked ears.

The lions muttered in disbelief at Simba's decision, shaking their tawny heads and growling quietly, but gradually, one after the other, they followed their King on his silent march back to Pride Rock.

At last something snapped in the hyena clan and the little runt of Ridikill's hunting pack, Groco, leapt up and cheered, "Yeah! We did it! We did it! We get to hunt in the Pride Lands!"

Instantly the hyena clan broke into laughter, cheering and hooting and cackling and giggling. They danced around, howling and yelling. Most of them couldn't believe that what they saw as Shenzi's stupid idea had worked. Some embraced each other.

Some began to sing, "We'll have food! Lots of food! We repeat! Endless meat!"

Some of the bitter, retreating lions looked back at them and saw what they wanted to see: a jeering, devilish crowd, howling and mocking them in the darkness.

In the midst of the hyena crowd Banzai jostled his way through two dancers and found Shenzi. She was sitting on her haunches, looking exhausted.

"Hey Shenzi! You did it!" Banzai grinned.

She looked at him, "Nah, it wasn't me. We all did our part", she bit her lip and looked almost shy, "You were great".

"Thanks!" in the excitement of the moment Banzai didn't notice her coy look, "Well, anyway, we did it then! Hahahah!"

"Oooh-heh, ohhehehehahahaha!" Ed appeared suddenly by his two companions and slobbered relentlessly.

"Hah-ha! You were great too!" Banzai grinned at him.

Shenzi leapt up, slid between her two friends and wrapped her forelegs around each of them and hugged them up against her, "Haha! That's right, _we did it_! Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!"

The hyenas cackled and cheered into the night. From his perch Rafiki watched for a moment, then skipped to the floor and trotted back towards Pride Rock.

From another tree Mali the leopard watched the baboon go, then snarled angrily at the hyenas and made his way quietly down the trunk.

And in yet another tree, a small plover bird, overlooked by all, flapped his wings and took off.


	12. Unrest

Author's notes: This is getting monotonous but I apologize again for the delay with this extremely long chapter. I hope you all understand – Christmas and all, you know how it is. Anyway, so here's this long, rather risky chapter that I hope you'll all enjoy. Please review if you have the energy to do so. Here comes the inevitable character list.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer, former loner

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

Simba walked home. His beloved family, Nala, Kiara and Kovu, were not far behind him. All walked in silence, heads hanging low, lost in thought. The stars shone above them and a pleasant night breeze rushed through their fur, but they took no notice. 

Everybody was thinking about the result of the negotiations. The hyenas had total access to the Pride Lands at Simba's permission. It was something that weighed heavily on his mind. Had he made the right decision? He knew that most of the pride thought he hadn't. What he wanted to know was whether or not his family thought he had. But he was too mentally exhausted to question them now. He just wanted to get home and sleep on it.

Further behind Nala, Kiara and Kovu came the rest of the lions in a disorganized group. Some of them were talking in hushed tones. Others weren't being so subtle.

"Like a damn martyr…" Simba could hear Tumai saying, "I don't know what his problem is…"

Simba sighed. He was too tired to defend himself. He just wanted to go home.

* * *

Kachero the python slung his long body through the water, heading towards the far corner of the waterhole. At night the tranquil waterhole was a remarkably different place – fish skimmed along the surface of the water, the crocodiles were more prolific, the noisy hippos gathered on the banks and all kinds of strange visitors came and went. 

As Kachero knifed through the water he bumped into something. A crocodile rose from just below the waterline, glaring at him. Its eyes shone in the reflected moonlight and its teeth glinted like stars.

"You watch where you're going", it rumbled, "You're not off _my _menu, you legless lizard. Not all crocodiles are afraid of annoying Mamacala by eating his lackey".

As soon as the words were out of its jaws the water between the python and the croc seethed and Mamacala rose to the surface, his great bulk shoving the smaller crocodile aside.

"You'd tempt fate by annoying me eh?" Mamacala snarled at his fellow croc, opening his mighty maw, "Well, mission accomplished: I'm annoyed".

Instantly the smaller crocodile dived and with a few lashes of its tail powered away, plunging into the depths to escape Mamacala's wrath.

"Miserable creature", Mamacala growled, then turned in the water to face Kachero, "You have news?"

"Yes, but first allow me to thank you for aiding me against your brethren, Mamacala, Lord of the Rivers".

Mamacala said nonchalantly "Don't mention it. Now, what news -"

"I live to serve you, Lord Mamacala".

"_What news_, you fool!" Mamacala snapped.

"As you command, Mamacala. The negotiations are over. King Simba has granted the hyena clan access to the Pride Lands".

"Hah! I knew he would. Not permanently, surely?

"No. The hyenas have been granted a six week 'trial period' to prove themselves to the King. After that they will review the matter of extending the hyena's stay in the Pride Lands".

"I see. So where are the hyenas now?"

"When Oocheva left they were still at the sight of the negotiations".

"Celebrating no doubt", Mamacala mused, "Although I imagine dear little Ridikill is a little sore he didn't get to see any action".

"Oocheva gave some specifics this time on your protégé", Kachero hissed, and there was just a hint of resentment in his voice.

"My my, what's this, Kachero? Jealous of Ridikill?" Mamacala boomed.

"Of course not".

"Don't waste yours and my time by lying to me".

Kachero knew it wasn't an idle thing to say. Mamacala always knew when you were lying. Lies sang out to him. Masters of deceit were rarely fooled themselves.

"Of course. Yes I am a little resentful of the hyena", Kachero admitted.

"Why?"

"Because he has your favour, Lord Mamacala".

"But so do you. Also, consider this: Ridikill knows nothing of the existence of you or any of my other agents. As far as he's concerned I'm just a strange old crocodile without a single companion besides him. He doesn't know the truth about me, yet I let you and the others know it".

"Yes Lord Mamacala", the python paused, pensive, then ventured, "May I ask, My Lord? Why do you not keep Ridikill informed if he is one of your favourites? And indeed why do you favour him at all? He is, after all, one of _them_. A mammal".

"You may _not_ ask. I have my reasons for keeping Ridikill in the dark about the true level of influence I command. And as for why he's one of my favourite followers…well, that's not your concern".

Kachero bowed his head, unsatisfied with the lack of information but recognizing that to press Mamacala further was to push his luck. He was genuinely perplexed by the crocodile's interest in the hyena Ridikill. Ridikill had never seen Kachero but Kachero had seen Ridikill: he had in secret from the hyena but with full awareness from the crocodile observed many of their meetings. He had an intense dislike for the hyena due to his coarse manner, the cheek Mamacala allowed him to get away with for reasons Kachero didn't understand, and of course his mammalian blood.

Mamacala glared at Kachero, reading him like a book. He knew of Kachero's hatred of Ridikill. It sprouted mostly from jealousy: Mamacala allowed the impudent hyena far more leeway than his other charges and the always-loyal but often-scorned Kachero resented that.

The reason Ridikill was allowed to get away with his relative insolence to the Lord of the Rivers was because Ridikill was important in Mamacala's schemes. Far more important than a mere functionary like Kachero, but Mamacala wasn't about to tell the python that. He needed Kachero's unwavering loyalty at the moment and so resisted stinging him with his acid tongue.

"Have patience and you'll discover why Ridikill is one of my favourites", was all he said, and the python nodded.

"At any rate, now that the hyenas are starting to make themselves comfortable in the Pride Lands, I daresay I can find a way to turn this to my advantage. Already I've made crude preliminary plans, but plans nonetheless. I see the path to what I want forging in front of me. Stay alert, Kachero, and remember, your loyalty will be repaid if you follow me".

"Yes my Lord of the Rivers, the mighty Mamacala", the python bowed again, and knowing he was dismissed, he turned about and cruised back across the waterhole.

Mamacala watched him go: this time no lesser crocodiles hassled the python. Mamacala began to sink beneath the surface, at last disappearing without even a ripple revealing his presence, just beyond the sight of all.

* * *

Ryana the half-grown lioness sat looking out over the plains, perched on the very pinnacle of Pride Rock. The sky was still dark and the stars still shone overhead, but the first hints of the sun rising were just beginning to show, tinting the horizon pink. 

Tenzer, herself, the other adolescents, the cubs and Timon and Pumbaa had tried to stay awake for as long as possible, desperate for news of the battle their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and friends were fighting. None came, either in the form of the pride returning victorious or Zazu arriving to tell them to flee Pride Rock and head south. One by one the youngsters fell asleep, despite trying to keep each other awake.

However, Ryana had been unable to doze off and so had come to sit and wait for news of the battle or any sign of the returning pride. She found when she slept she dreamed of the hyenas tearing into her.

She turned to look at her shoulder. The scar was still hideous despite the baboon's treatment: the hyena's attack had nearly torn the skin off and the matted and worried fur that was there now showed patches of bare skin beneath.

Ryana shuddered involuntarily at the thought of the hyenas, the memory of their slashing bites, hideous laughter and hot, stinking breath. The thought of the adults, including her own mother, going off to fight an army of the brutes filled her with dread.

"Ryana?" a little voice said from behind her, startling her.

She turned and saw young Amabi tottering up towards her, his eyes half-closed and his steps sluggish. He was obviously very tired.

"Amabi? What are you doing up? You should be asleep".

"So should you", Amabi replied.

Ryana smiled, "True. But why are you up?"

"Can't sleep", the cub replied and sat down next to her. The night was cold despite being the dry season: Amabi cuddled up to Ryana's leg.

"I wish we'd hear something", the cub said suddenly.

Ryana nodded, "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's the hanging around and waiting that's getting to me. I just wish we could know, one way or the other, what's happened out there".

Amabi looked up with wide eyes, "You think they might lose?"

Ryana realized her error and hastily tried to cover it, "No no, of course not. The tension's just getting to me. Of course they'll win. The hyenas will be limping back to the Graveyard by now".

"You think so?"

"Yup", Ryana said, trying to sound convincing despite her own doubts, "Come on, King Simba's not the type to lie down and let his enemies walk all over him".

"Yeah, you're right. And besides – my mom's with them, they can't go wrong!" Amabi grinned, "I…wait…is that them?"

Ryana peered into the dark below them, "Where?"

"There! Just coming past that patch of thorns down there?"

Ryana squinted, "I can't see anything".

"Right _there_!" Amabi pointed with his paw to emphasize: Ryana still looked clueless, "Oh, come on, just follow me!"

With that he bounded down Pride Rock's winding path. Ryana followed him, stopping now and again to peer down at the plains to try and spot the pride. She could still see nothing.

As they passed the cave where everybody was sleeping, awaiting news of the battle, Ryana stopped and considered waking them but decided against it. After all, Amabi might have just been imagining things and she didn't want to wake them needlessly. She continued down the path after Amabi.

After a few minutes of half-trotting, half-tumbling down the pathways, they came to the slope that marked the ascent to Pride Rock. To Ryana's surprise and everlasting delight, she saw Amabi was right. The pride was padding in their direction. Ryana checked their numbers – yes! It seemed as if all of them had come home!

But as she approached them, Ryana could see something was wrong. The lions all had their heads down, and the foremost such as Simba and the rest of the royal family were silent while there seemed to be bickering and whispering in the rear ranks.

Amabi however was oblivious and leapt forward, looking for his adopted mother.

"Mom! Mom! Where are you?" he called.

Amaryllis trotted out of the crowd and headed for Amabi, "Here, honey. I'm over here".

"Mom!" Amabi grinned and bounded towards her, filled with joy, but then he saw the weary look in here eyes and realized something was wrong, "Mom? What's wrong?"

"Nothing sweetheart. I'll explain to you later. Come on, let's head back up and get some rest".

"Mom?" Amabi looked at his mother, confused, but then followed her up Pride Rock's path.

Ryana watched as Simba approached, head down, "King Simba? What's happened?"

Nala looked at her with exhausted eyes, "We'll explain later. You're going to need to sit down to hear this".

* * *

The first thing Shenzi noticed as she woke up was how indescribably comfortable she was. She had spent nearly ever day of her life for the past five years sleeping on hard rock. Even when the clan had taken over the Pride Lands with Scar they'd slept in Pride Rock, which was still coarse stone. Evidently Shenzi had been missing out on something all her life – soft, luxurious grass forming a welcome, springy cushion beneath you as you slept soundly. 

Her eyes fluttered open and also for the first time in a long time she was greeted by the glittering sun, not volcanic gases, bubbling geysers and greenish smoke. A myriad of pretty birds flew overhead as opposed to the eerie bats she was used to.

She could have lain there forever, enjoying the warmth and comfort, but she yawned, showing her big teeth, stretched and got up. She shook herself and looked around.

The clan were lazing around on the open plains and relaxing in the shade of the nearby acacia tree grove. After the negotiations and celebrations last night the hyena clan had decided to sleep where they were, too tired and some too weak after the long march to go anywhere else, and so they had fallen asleep on the edge of the scrubland.

There were no herds in sight, but that didn't surprise Shenzi. This spot would probably be avoided like the plague by the Pride Landers for as long as the hyenas chose to make their home here.

Shenzi looked at the sun in the sky. It was mid-morning. She yawned again and looked around. Some of the hyenas were wandering around, some were chatting idly, some were running around and playing, and many were still sleeping.

"'Morning", a voice said from behind her.

Shenzi turned to see Banzai grinning inanely at her, "Sleep well?"

She nodded, "Yeah, you?"

"Best night's sleep I can remember. Man, talk about easy street!"

"You said it", Shenzi looked about, "Anyone check on Cauron yet?"

"Who?"

"Cauron. You know, pregnant one, gave birth last night in the middle of the negotiations".

"Oh right yeah, she's fine, and her cubs. Four of 'em, three females, one male".

Shenzi nodded, "Good. We're gonna have to do some hunting today, feed everyone after yesterday's march".

"And who's gonna be allocated to do that, eh?" a deep voice growled.

Banzai and Shenzi looked up and saw Ridikill approaching at the head of a group of the hunting chieftains and a collection of the other highest-ranking hyenas, twenty in total. Ed was following them. Evidently he'd sought them out and instructed them to assemble before the leader trio to address some issues.

These high-rankers were a collection of the hunting chiefs, the most physically desirable hyenas, the wisest hyenas, the fiercest hyenas, the most popular hyenas. The elite of the clan.

Ed went to Banzai and Shenzi's side. Shenzi looked at him.

"Couldn't this have waited? I'm tired".

Ed shook his head.

"I gotta question", one of the group snapped and gestured at Ed, "Since when can he talk?"

Shenzi waved a paw dismissively, "Never mind all that".

"Hey come on, we wanna know –"

"I said knock It off! Anyway, now that we're all here, I think we can agree the negotiations last night were a success, yeah?"

The group replied with a resounding cheer. Despite the clan's doubts about entering diplomacy with lions and their own matriarch misleading them regarding the purpose of the march, any misgivings had quickly been wiped out by their freedom to live in the Pride Lands, regardless of the imposed time limit.

Only Ridikill didn't cheer. He grunted and looked indignant.

"Well, we need to lay down some ground rules for our stay in the Pride Lands", Shenzi went on, "You guys need to pass this on to the rest of the clan. First of all, remember that we need to make a good impression on 'His Highness' so we can get to spend more time here".

"Yeah, so we don't want ya to do nothin' stupid", Banzai warned, "No-one's to go picking fights with our pussy cat neighbours, got that?"

"That's right", Shenzi said, "We stay away from Pride Rock and we don't do nothing to provoke them. Second: nobody runs riot and slaughters as much prey as possible just for the hell of it. Like I said, we gotta make a good impression. Hunts have gotta be authorised by you lot", she pointed to the hunting chieftains, "Or us three", she indicated herself and Banzai and Ed.

"And finally, we obey all of Simba's orders. That gets under my fur too, but it's gotta be done. We gotta act like perfect little Pride Landers to impress him and win him over".

Ridikill chuckled between clenched teeth, "Don't have the gall to stand up to him a second time, eh Shenzi?"

"Don't push your luck", Shenzi glared at him, "You made it clear last night your intentions to replace us as leader. Mistake number one. You're lucky we don't rip you to pieces right now".

The chieftain snorted, "Then why don't you? I wouldn't let no-one threaten my leadership – just one of many reasons why I'd do a better job than you".

"The reason I don't get rid of you is because you ain't no threat to us. You ain't popular enough to get followers and what's the use of leading if no-one's following you? There's more to leadership than just scaring everyone to death. You don't even understand leadership but you try to get your greasy paws on it – mistake number two".

Ridikill scowled.

Shenzi shrugged, "Anyway, we're done here. Just one more thing, everyone. Take a look at that!"

She gestured at the southern horizon. A herd of wildebeest were just visible, plodding mindlessly in the direction of the hyenas. Several of the hyena's jaws dropped open and tongues lolled out.

The trio took a step in the direction of the waiting feast and Banzai growled, "It's time…to chow down!"

* * *

"Wait…wait…Simba did _what_?" Tenzer shook his head in disbelief. 

"It's true, kid", Vitani said bitterly, "He's opened the gates of the Pride Lands to the hyenas".

"The…the hyenas?" Kelt gaped in disbelief. His coat was still bare on the shoulders from where Ridikill had seized him with his teeth just a few weeks ago.

The lion cubs and adolescents were listening attentively to Vitani, who had taken it on herself to deliver the bad news to them. Amaryllis was standing next to her, hunched over. The youngsters had been eager to know what the result of the 'battle' had been all night, since nobody seemed even scratched, but the adults had refused to tell them until the morning. Now in the cave they'd spent the night in they listened with bristled fur, wide eyes and pricked ears to Vitani's grim news.

"But what will happen to us? We can't leave Pride Rock if the hyenas are allowed in our lands! It'll be too dangerous!" Alyssa, ever practical, reasoned.

"Uh-huh. Well, you tell that to Simba", Vitani grunted.

Amaryllis looked up, "That's not fair. Don't bury the poor guy before he's dead. Things could work out. Besides, you're a member of his family. You should stand up for him".

"What, you mean like you stood up for the hyenas at the negotiations last night?" Vitani sneered, "You helped _them_ _out._ What were you thinking?"

"It wasn't that bad", Amaryllis shot back, seeing the shocked look in the cub's eyes, particularly her own Amabi, "I just made an unbiased point. I told the truth. I was fair. I didn't do anything wrong".

Vitani's glare intensified, then she shot a friendly grin at the youngsters, "Excuse us a moment, kids. You, come with me", she snapped at Amaryllis and marched out of the cave.

Amaryllis looked at Amabi and smiled wearily. All she got in return was an uncertain look. Great. So now even her own son thought she'd done wrong. She headed after Vitani.

Fifty yards down the path Vitani stopped and looked at Amaryllis. It wasn't a look Amaryllis had ever had directed at her by her best friend. Vitani's ears were lowered, her eyes narrowed and wild, her lips curled back in a grimace and her canines showing.

"Listen up, sister!" Vitani snarled, "You think you were 'fair', do you? _Fair_! Well, here's a newsflash for you. There is no 'fair' when you're fighting for your livelihood against a ruthless enemy who'll do anything to win! 'Fair' flies off over the horizon and it all comes down to one thing - winning!"

Amaryllis was disturbed by Vitani's level of anger but she was otherwise unmoved, "Oh come on Vitani. I've heard the whole 'survival of the fittest' speech hundreds of times. I never expected to have to hear it from you. It's lame".

"Well if you've heard it so many times it's amazing you never took it in. By being 'fair' last night all you did was lay the welcome mat down for the hyenas".

"You're exaggerating. All I did was help the debate along".

"Exactly - you _helped_. You were part of the whole sorry chain of events that's got us into this mess – saying that not all hyenas were as bad as that lunatic that lost his temper last night. And anyway, how the hell do you know that hyena, or do you not really know him and you were just lying to be even more 'fair' to them?"

Amaryllis was sorely tempted to strike out at Vitani but she wasn't a naturally violent creature and she controlled the urge, "No I didn't make it up. I've bumped into that hyena twice before in the north. It was a bit strange…"

"Oh, so now you're best pals with a hyena too? Just great, Amaryllis. What next? Are you secretly a hyena in disguise or something? Are you just looking after Amabi so you can fatten him up and eat him?"

Amaryllis' vision blurred and adrenaline surged through her body. She wasn't even aware of what she was doing: all she could see was hot white fire in front of her. She was vaguely aware of a dull thumping noise, rapid, regular and loud. She was also aware she was moving but she didn't know what she was doing, as she was so blinded by rage.

She didn't know how much time passed before the white light in front of her eyes began to fade but it must have been quite some time because as her vision came into focus she was in a completely different part of Pride Rock. She was on the main rock that thrust out across the plains. She was surrounded by ten or so lions and lionesses, all peering at her with bewildered expressions. She looked directly in front of her.

Vitani looked back at her, blood staining her nose. With a start Amaryllis realized what had happened. She had gone into a frenzy and started smacking her best friend across the face, driving her all the way from the path by the living quarters to where she was now. That was at least one hundred yards. And all the while she'd been pummelling a startled Vitani. At last they'd been separated by several onlookers – to her intense shame Amaryllis saw the royal family were some of them.

Amaryllis was breathing hard. She couldn't feel any physical pain though – apparently Vitani hadn't struck her back. She dared another look at Vitani. Her friend was touching her snout and staring at the blood that marked her paw in disbelief. She was trembling slightly, the tell-tale signs of someone who'd just taken an unexpected beating. Amaryllis felt like rushing over to embrace her and telling her she was sorry until Vitani looked back at her. The expression of frightened confusion of someone who'd just been attacked by a friend was replaced by a savage glare of violent intent one would normally reserve for an enemy.

With a deep growl Vitani loped away. Kovu went after her, closely followed by Kiara. A befuddled Simba turned to Amaryllis.

"Amaryllis…I had not expected this from you. You've been nothing but a model pride member. You know fighting on Pride Rock is strictly forbidden".

Amaryllis tried to answer but she was cut short by a sneer from one of the other lionesses, "Guilt get to you eh, traitor?"

Simba raised his voice at the offender and shouted something but Amaryllis didn't hear it. She was galloping down the path that led down from Pride Rock and away to the North.

Amaryllis managed to discern the clear ring of Nala's voice, "Wait, don't go out there alone! It's too dangerous! There's hyenas out there!"

_And according to most of you it's my fault_, Amaryllis thought bitterly as she burst out onto the savannah grass and darted away.

* * *

Perhaps the wildebeest herd were audacious enough to assume that the hyena threat that had invaded the Pride Lands was exaggerated, and they were flaunting convention by heading boldly in the direction the hyenas were last seen to show they were not about to be intimidated by upstarts. 

_Or more likely they're just stupid_, Shenzi mused. She grinned and snapped her teeth at the heels of one cow that was wheezing and puffing heavily, trying desperately to pull away from the hyena bitch.

Shenzi zigzagged in amongst the big creatures, keeping her eye on her target, which proved tricky as her topknot of mane hair kept flopping in front of her face and obscuring her view.

The plains had been thrown into total chaos. The wildebeest herd had approached and Shenzi, Banzai and Ed had quickly rallied all the hyenas who were in the mood to hunt and were fit enough to do so. Some eighty or so hyenas now rampaged across the savannah, pursuing the luckless wildebeest herd without mercy. The clan leaders had issued only loose instructions – bring down as many wildebeest as you can.

The exhausted wildebeest were running about with no one direction to head for because hyenas hemmed them in on all sides. Through the dust and swirling bodies Shenzi could briefly see one wildebeest with a dozen hyenas clinging to its flanks, tearing at it savagely.

With her lust for food at its peak Shenzi surged forward and sank her teeth into the right rear thigh of the wildebeest cow she was pursuing. The herbivore bleated in pain and terror. Instantly a dozen more hyenas that Shenzi hadn't even realized were following her charged in and began to tear the wildebeest apart.

The dust rose in a towering cloud and time passed. Vultures circled overhead. The wildebeest finally secured an escape route and the herd fled south. The dust cleared. At last it was over.

Once the thrill of the kill had died down and she was composed again, Shenzi stood up, her snout smeared in blood. She looked around and saw many other kill sites in the area, marked by a concentration of swirling ginger-grey bodies. She made a quick count. Fourteen kills. More than she'd ever seen in one day, even during Scar's reign. But then again the clan was bigger now than it ever had been, and many hadn't eaten for a while. Such slaughter had been necessary.

The leader lowered her head and made the rallying cry, "Oooooo-whup!" one by one the heads popped up to look at her, "Alright everyone, good job but don't start chowing down just yet! We gotta take these back for the weaklings otherwise there'll be nothing left for 'em! So let's get going!"

Hyenas were strong but it took several to drag each bulky wildebeest any length of distance, but they absolutely refused to leave any carcasses behind for the vultures – or worse, the lions – and so they began hauling the mutilated bodies to their temporary home, muttering and cursing all the way. Shenzi didn't shirk her share and helped tug her kill towards the waiting clan members.

Once back at the grove they dropped the carcasses in a clearing and summoned the 'weaklings'. Soon enough the pregnant mothers, the cubs who'd been weaned, the elderly, the sick and the tired came bounding or at least hobbling out of the scrub, drooling and licking their chops.

The hyenas tucked into the wildebeest carcasses. There was no fighting: everyone was too hungry and too eager to waste precious feeding time by so much as snapping at their fellows, even Ridikill. Nobody spoke either. Everybody just fed, creating a hellish cacophony of cracking bones, tearing flesh and cackling hyenas.

It was pure heaven for the clan. Their stomachs seemed to fill up too quickly. After fifteen minutes some of the clan began wandering off with full bellies. Over the next fifteen minutes the rest finished as well, breaking away one after the other. In the end only a few individuals picked amongst the leftovers.

Groco shoved his neck into the now hollow upturned ribcage of one wildebeest; he came out with a few stringy pieces of meat. He snapped them up greedily, "Aww man! Just scraps left! I'm still hungry!"

"Don't be so pathetic, runt", Ridikill admonished, although he was chewing on a piece of mangy hide himself, "If I had it my way you'd be starved until you had enough guts to hunt for yourself!"

"You got too many guts, that's your problem!" Groco gestured at Ridikill's visibly swollen belly, and he emitted an ear-piercing, shrieking laugh.

"Garn! Maggot!" Ridikill lurched at him but the little hyena skipped away, pleased with himself. The chief was too full of meat to pursue him. With a grunt Ridikill turned away and walked away from the clan, going on one of his unannounced walks.

Resting alone in the shade of an acacia tree on, Shenzi watched him go. She was interested in finding out where Ridikill went in his spare time. Not out of casual interest, but because Ridikill's threats of taking leadership from her had her wary if not actually nervous. It was possible Ridikill had contact with foreign hyena packs and he was planning to overthrow her with force.

"Yo Shenz!" Banzai called.

She turned and saw the male trotting towards her, head held high and tail pricked. Banzai had an impressive ability to find her, even in a crowd. She gave a somnolent smile.

"Hey, good hunt eh?" Banzai grinned from ear to ear.

"Yeah. Feels good to hunt some big game again eh?"

"Uh-huh", Banzai peered at the wildebeest blood that stained Shenzi's snout, "Hey, you have a little something on your…"

"Huh?" Shenzi rubbed her snout with her paw, "That get it?"

"Uh…no…it's kinda…everywhere", Banzai giggled, "Here, I'll get it".

He licked his paw, then leaned forward to scrub her face with it. Shenzi recoiled.

"What are you, my mother?"

"Someone's gotta look after ya".

"Look after _me_? I'm the one who has to hold yours and Ed's paws everywhere we go", she retorted.

Banzai took advantage of the moment to leap forward and scrub Shenzi's snout. Shenzi wriggled to get free, protesting loudly. Banzai laughed.

"Would ya hold still? This is for your own good! You wanna smell like rotten meat?"

"I don't wanna smell like a zebra's butt either, but I will if you don't get your stinky paws off me!" Shenzi was laughing too: she didn't really know why. For a while she struggled to get free while Banzai scrubbed her face free of blood.

Shenzi eventually managed to squirm free. She fell over on her back and rolled with laughter. Banzai did the same. Neither knew why they were laughing really but they couldn't stop.

Until they heard a familiar noise, "Uh?"

They both sat bolt upright and saw Ed staring at them with an unusually sly look on his face. Instantly they both felt acutely embarrassed for some reason and they scrambled away from each other. They both tried to speak but nothing came out. What were they trying to say anyway? Trying to…make excuses? What for? They'd done nothing wrong. But the way Ed was leering at them certainly made them feel uncomfortable.

"What are you staring at, you creep?" Shenzi snapped eventually.

Ed laughed quietly and made a peculiar face, then turned about and wandered off, chuckling to himself. Shenzi was after him immediately, furiously demanding to know what Ed thought was so funny.

Banzai watched them go, then shook his head. What had _that_ been about?

* * *

Ridikill wandered leisurely across the savannah, heading north-west. He had a mind to quench his thirst after such a good meal and he was heading for what he thought of 'his' waterhole. There were many closer sources of water, but he wanted to be alone after having to spend such an unbearably long time in the company of the rest of the clan. He hadn't been on his own since Shenzi told him to rally the clan for the march days ago. The secluded little waterhole was the only place he knew of where he was pretty much guaranteed seclusion. 

So he drifted north, musing on the clan's state of affairs. He had to admit to himself he was pleased Shenzi had won access to the Pride Lands, even if he fiercely disagreed with her methods. The thought of having to accept a lion as their King and thus bow to not only his clan leaders but also a big pussy cat made him want to spit.

It occurred to him that was why he wanted to take over the clan – not because he had any innate desire for leading his followers, far from it, but because he was sick of taking orders. It was nothing personal against Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, he thought they were usually a pretty effective leadership, but being bossed around really got under his skin. The only creature whose authority he didn't question was Mamacala's, of course.

As Ridikill walked off his meal he passed a small group of topi. The tall, elegant antelope watched him carefully, eyes wide as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Ridikill was already stuffed full of wildebeest meat but to amuse himself when he walked past them he suddenly switched about and charged a few paces towards them. They fled in terror. The hyena sniggered and resumed his trek north.

Ridikill was strong and physically fit but at the moment weighed down by his meal and so it took nearly two hours for him to come within sight of 'his' waterhole, marked by the tall elephant grass rising around it like stalagmites in his old cave home. As he approached he noticed a scent – it reminded him of that accursed lioness whom he'd encountered twice before here and had recognized him in the negotiations the previous night.

Ignoring the scent Ridikill slipped between the fronds of sharp-edged elephant grass and approached the waterhole. He stopped suddenly with a growl.

The lioness was right there, sitting on the opposite side less than twelve feet away. She hadn't noticed him as he'd entered, but when he growled instinctively she'd looked up and seen him. She lay on her front, staring up at him with bloodshot eyes.

The hyena's natural inclination was to tell the lioness to get lost. He was getting fed up of bumping into her at 'his' waterhole. What was she doing here, anyway? The very sight of a lion lounging around by his waterhole made him furious. But he remembered his last encounter with her – when she had shown an unexpected burst of cold, deadly power. It had shaken him somewhat. So he approached more cautiously than he was used to doing so.

That said, he was still far from tactful, "What are you doing here, maggot? I told you to stay away from my place!"

Amaryllis gazed up at him, "I needed to be alone" she said in a croaking voice.

It was clear from her hoarse voice and her raw eyes that she'd been crying. Ridikill nearly spat. What a pathetic display of frailty. He was surprised to find he was somewhat disappointed – the strength the lioness had shown the other day had somewhat intrigued him. He was annoyed to see she had reverted back into what he suspected she was – an emotional weakling.

"Well, this is my waterhole and I ain't leavin'" the hyena spat, "So if you want to be alone I suggest you get lost. You're lucky I let you live. This is the third time I've caught you invading my private spot".

"I don't want to leave. It's nice here. Quiet".

Ridikill growled, "Quiet? Well I can make it unquiet very quickly. I'll sit here howling my head off if ya don't move it!"

Amaryllis stirred and shifted a little to look directly at him, "Listen, I'm not moving until I'm ready. Stay here if you want. Do whatever it is you're here to do. I'll be gone soon enough".

"Grrrr…what if I attacked you? Chomped my fangs into your hide? Wouldn't be so happy to just sit and share my company then, would ya?"

"Go ahead and try, but I'm really not in the mood", the lioness hissed, and for an instant Ridikill saw that strength in her clear green eyes that he'd seen the other day. He recoiled. But then it was gone and she was the same, weary, teary-eyed lioness.

"Alright, fine. You win", the hyena grunted and threw himself down in the dirt to lie down, "I don't say those words often. Consider yourself blessed".

"I will", the lioness replied.

The two of them lay in silence at opposite ends of the small pool. Amaryllis looked listlessly at the water, seemingly happy to just lie there. Ridikill however was agitated. He didn't like sharing such close quarters with his despised natural enemy. But on the other hand he didn't want to leave either. He was curious about this strange lioness who seemed to be more than met the eye.

"So, why you wanna be alone then?" he grumbled after a few minutes of silence.

She looked up, surprised, "Oh, you wanna know? What was it you said to me the other day? You said talking to me was just 'exchanging pleasantries with a witless female with delusions of grandeur'. That was it, wasn't it? And now you want to know why I seek solitude?"

"Garn, if you're going to be like that then forget it!" Ridikill snapped.

"No, I'm sorry", Amaryllis sighed, "I've had a bad day".

Ridikill groaned, "And now I suppose you're going to tell me about it?"

She looked at him, vaguely amused, "Well, I wasn't planning to. I don't usually confide in strange hyenas who threaten to kill me. But if you're offering to lend a sympathetic ear…"

"I wouldn't say sympathetic, more apathetic".

"Apathetic? That's still more than I've come to expect from you", she smiled, "I was expecting hostility".

"You haven't _seen_ hostile yet", Ridikill bared his teeth; the lioness was apparently deriving amusement from his attempt to learn more about her and it annoyed him.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing you. Jeez, you get riled up really easily. It's kinda funny to watch".

"It is _not_!" Ridikill barked angrily, then realized he'd played right into her paws. The lioness burst out laughing.

"See? It's like poking a bee's nest. Or like yanking on a buffalo's tail. Or like…"

"Like testing the patience of an exasperated hyena?" Ridikill snarled.

"Sorry. I'll stop now", Amaryllis found she couldn't help teasing the hyena. After her somewhat distressing day she found herself in need of a good laugh. It wasn't usually in her character to find amusement by poking fun of others, but the hyena was so high-and-mighty with such a vulgar streak of aggression that it was hard not to resist tripping him over and watching him work himself into a state trying to reaffirm his authority.

On the other hand, she also found the hyena interesting. He had shown nothing but antagonism towards her but now he was grudgingly allowing her to share his space and seemed to be trying to learn more about her. So she figured why not let him? She needed something to distract her from the day's events, and it might as well be this strange creature.

She went on, "Anyway, I was going to tell you about my day. Well, for a start, everyone seems to be blaming me for you hyenas being allowed in the Pride Lands…"

"What? Why?"

"They say I 'helped along the negotiations' by helping to reassure Simba that not all hyenas were as bad as you, actually. Incidentally, you made quite a scene last night, getting into a fight with your leaders".

"Yes, well, they annoyed me. They wanted to negotiate! Negotiate! What a joke!"

"I think the negotiations were a good idea", Amaryllis replied, "Surely you do now? I mean, you guys got what you want. Access to the Pride Lands".

"Maybe, but it still goes against one of my key principles – talking to the enemy".

"You mean like you're doing now?" she grinned at his enraged face, "Oh, relax. Take it easy for a change. You can't keep reacting like that to everything that bugs you".

The words were remarkably familiar to Ridikill. They echoed the words of Mamacala, who was always telling him to control his temper. He remembered now – anger was an emotion too, and therefore a weakness that had to be controlled. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He would do what Mamacala would do – be calm and patient, try to learn everything he could.

"Well, anyway, the idea that you're responsible for the negotiations' success is stupid", the hyena grunted, "That's a very minor point. I'll tell you why everyone is blaming you for the negotiations".

"Oh, why?"

"They're _looking_ for someone to blame. And they're too afraid to outright blame that big softie King of yours, so they're taking it out on you. Everyone needs someone to scapegoat. I do it all the time. When I'm in a mood I take it out on members of my clan".

Amaryllis looked surprised, "You really think that's why everyone's blaming me? Not because they really think it's my fault?"

"Of course, you moron. It's in the nature of angry creatures to look for someone to take it out on".

"Wow, thanks", the lioness grinned at him, "Thanks for you help. That's very kind of you".

"No it isn't!" the hyena roared, losing his temper again for a moment before regaining it, "I'm not kind. Just truthful. I don't see no point in mincing my words. I tell it like it is".

"You know, that's actually kinda good thing. It means you're honest".

"Don't praise me, cat scum. So, what else went wrong with your day?"

Amaryllis hesitated but decided there was nothing wrong with telling him so continued, "Well, my best friend was blaming me for the negotiations as well. We got into an argument and I ended up losing my temper and…well, I hit her".

Ridikill stared, "What, is that_ it_?"

"Yeah. Except I hit her…quite a lot. Other lions had to break us up. I don't think she's ever going to speak to me again".

The hyena threw his head back and laughed long and loud. It grated Amaryllis' nerves. He guffawed obnoxiously for a moment, then stopped, lowered his head to look at her and grinned a foul grin.

"Oh come on", Ridikill snorted, "You got into a scrap with your friend so you run away from home? That's pathetic. I'm always beating up my pack members. For fun, usually. It amuses me. And yet you run off and sob your little eyes out? Hahaha! How weak!"

"It's not 'weak' to feel bad for hurting a friend", Amaryllis snapped.

"Of course it is. It's incredibly weak. Shows you care about others besides yourself. Which is a weakness, hahah!"

He seemed pleased to have something to use against her, as if it was reassuring him of his superiority over her.

Amaryllis shook her head in disbelief, "You really believe that?"

"Of course. I'm above such emotions myself".

"Sorry, I don't believe you".

"What?" Ridikill snapped, "What do you mean 'you don't believe me'? I'm not asking you to! At any rate, it's true".

The lioness sighed, "I'm sorry if you think otherwise, but if you don't have any of those emotions then you're evil", Ridikill smirked and began to say something, but she cut him off, "Oh now I'm sure you're going to tell me how you're evil and so big and scary and tough and all that, and how you're so proud of being evil".

Ridikill glared. He had indeed been about to say something very similar to that.

"But I can't believe it", Amaryllis went on, "I don't believe anyone's truly evil. Everyone has feelings. Even you".

"Well I hate to mess up your little rationale about how things should work in this world, but that ain't the case. I'm evil. I know it. And I don't care", Ridikill snarled.

"I still don't believe that. Sorry if that bugs you", the lioness shrugged and repositioned herself so she lay on her side.

Ridikill fell silent for a moment, then barked, "How can you _not_ believe that? I've been nothing but cruel to you every time I've had the misfortune of running into you. I demonstrated my malevolence to you when I tried to take over from my leaders and attack the lion pride. Oh, and let's not forget the time I nearly killed those precious little lion cubs. How can you possibly say I'm not evil?"

Amaryllis blinked quickly several times, as if she was getting tired, "Well, about the cubs. Most hyenas or lions would kill cubs of the other species if they found them alone or vulnerable. Doesn't mean I would do it or I agree with it, but I know almost everyone I know would do it, my friends included. Oh, and just so you realize that I do genuinely forgive you for your actions that night – well my own adopted son was there".

"Huh? Your son?" Ridikill look stunned.

Amaryllis continued, "And as for the scene you made at the negotiations, well, we all have disagreements with pack members, as my situations shows. And maybe you want to be in charge. Doesn't make you evil. There's a few lions I know who'd gladly kick Simba out if they thought they could take over from him.

"Your attempt to attack us…well obviously you've got a lot of pent-up aggression and a serious dislike of lions. Those are character flaws. Doesn't make you evil though.

"And finally, about how you talk to me – yeah you're mean and keep telling me to get lost. But I wouldn't say you're 'evil' or 'cruel'. More…insensitive. And callous. But no, I don't think you're evil, no matter how much you try to appear to be."

Ridikill was staggered by the lioness. Nobody has ever been so impudent as to analyze his behaviour to such a degree before, except perhaps Mamacala. And Mamacala had always told him the opposite of what he was hearing now – that he _was_ evil, and that and his realization of this was what made him superior to others. Now he was being told by this lioness he'd only recently bumped into that he _wasn't_ evil. The cold logic of Mamacala's training told him to ignore her and her ridiculous assumptions about him, but something else told him to at least hear her out.

Amaryllis smiled; she could see her words were astounding the hyena, but whether he was going to be angry or not when he overcame his shock she didn't know. She wasn't really sure why she was telling the hyena what she thought of him either. It was probably because the quick temper and arrogant aggression annoyed her and she thought playing these down would crumble the shield of ferocity the hyena was obviously keen to project.

She continued, "So yeah, you sure haven't been evil to me today. In fact, unless I'm much mistake, earlier you were subtly trying to learn a little more about me, and you even offered to hear my problems out. And you gave me some helpful insight into why my friends are acting like they are. So thank you".

"You _are_ much mistaken!" the hyena bellowed, "Of course I wasn't trying to learn about you, or listen to your insignificant problems, or help you out! Who'd you think you are, assuming you know me like that?! Maggots and apes! I should crush your skull right now and…"

"Then why don't you?" Amaryllis replied.

Ridikill fell silent. He didn't have an answer for that, or at least not one he wanted to share with her. So with an angry growl he picked himself up and walked away.

"Hey, don't go! I could do with some company!" Amaryllis called after him.

The hyena cursed and swore so viciously that the lioness was taken aback for a moment. She managed a meek smile as he wandered away south.

"Well, maybe I'll see ya again?"

"Hell's bells and a bucket of blood you will!" the hyena called over his shoulder.


	13. Questioning

Author's notes: Well I'm pleased to announce another chapter! Man this story is turning out to be very long. A lot longer than I'd ever have guessed when I got started. To be exact, 172 pages on Microsoft word Font Arial size 12. Not bad eh?

Well, once again I'm very grateful for the reviews. It's gratifying to know people are still interested. Please read and review and let me know what you think, I'm really beginning to enjoy where the fic is going myself now, hehehe. I'm also very interested in everyone's predictions :P

Oh, and by the way, it might seem from this chapter like I'm not fond of reptiles. The exact opposite is true: I love them. The crocodile is my favourite animal, even more so than the hyena, and I have my own pet royal python. Just so nobody accuses me of anything, hehehe.

Character list:

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

At Pride Rock most of the adults of the lion pride had gathered around after the commotion of Amaryllis' scrap with Vitani. Vitani herself was hidden away in her cave, tended to by Kovu and Kiara. Amaryllis hadn't returned since she ran off.

"I don't understand it", one of the lionesses was saying, "It's not like Amaryllis. She's never been violent".

"She's stressed and upset", Nala replied, "Vitani had been giving her a hard time, as far as I can tell".

"I don't blame her", Maradi the male grunted, "Amaryllis was responsible for the negotiations going so well for the hyenas last night. Good for Vitani, I say".

Simba turned and glared at the vain young male, "No, _I_ was responsible for the negotiations going so well last night. If you're unhappy with the negotiations, direct your problems at _me_, not Amaryllis".

Kovu and Kiara reappeared suddenly, trotting back down the rocky path. Kovu looked around at the other lions.

"Vitani's fine", he said, "No real injuries, just some scratches. Her pride's hurt more than anything else. She wants to be left alone for a while".

"Aren't you angry, Kovu?" Salama said slowly, "Your own sister assaulted on Pride Rock because she spoke out against the biggest injustice the Pride Lands has suffered in recent years. Doesn't that leave a bad taste in your mouth?"

Simba growled under his breath. The gathering of lions was agitated and still sore about the result of the negotiations. They kept dropping not-so-subtle hints about how negatively they felt about the hyenas being allowed into the Pride Lands. It seemed to Simba as if they were working their way up towards openly verbally attacking him.

"First of all, Vitani's my _half-sister_", Kovu was saying to Salama, "And it's not my place to go criticizing anyone or anything right now".

"But surely…"

"I'm not in the mood to be used as a tool for you to attack King Simba with. Leave me out of this", the angry, powerful young lion snarled.

Simba nearly smiled. Kovu was dependable as usual.

"We don't need any tools", Tumai spat suddenly, and there was a wild look in his eyes, "If you want us to direct your complaints at you, 'mighty King Simba', fine. We will. We're furious that you gave the hyenas access to the Pride Lands".

Simba looked at the other lion, then sighed and said, "Fine. Continue".

Tumai hopped off his rocky perch and walked towards the King, "What you've done is doomed this pride to hard times, at best. Utter devastation, at worst. You've let a huge population of our natural enemies make their home in our hunting lands. How can you possible expect any good to come out of this?"

There was scattered murmurs of approval and nodding of heads from the assembled group. Simba recognized that they were looking for an outlet for them to vent the frustration they'd felt since the day before on, and as their King and the one who'd made the fateful decision, Simba had a responsibility to take the full force of their anger.

"The last time hyenas were allowed into the Pride Lands we all nearly starved to death", one lioness called out.

"Exactly", Tumai looked Simba in the eyes: he was uncomfortably close now, "So what you've done is let yourself be sweet-talked into allowing the hyenas to siege us on Pride Rock. Do you think hunting parties are going to be safe now? Or the cubs?"

"The hyenas will respect my rule. I told them that and they agreed to it", Simba answered.

"Yeah, and what else did you say? That the treaty was 'not a declaration of peace'? And that 'we all still have the rights to interact as rival predators'? That was it, wasn't it?"

"Yes", Simba said, "But what's wrong with that? It means we will have a healthy, natural relationship with the hyenas, as we do with the leopards and cheetahs. We won't be forced into direct co-operation with them. I thought that would please all of you".

"You fool!" Tumai hissed, and there were gasps from the crowd at hearing someone so directly insulting the King, "'Interact as rival predators'? What you've done, in effect, is give the hyenas licence to invade our lands, steal our food and kill our cubs!"

There were roars of outrage and much yammering and arguing. Simba felt like he'd taken a blow to the face. He hadn't looked on the treaty that way. He thought his pride would be pleased that they could at least drive the hyenas away when they saw them. It hadn't occurred to him it could work the opposite way, and so drastically.

The shouting and arguing rose and rose, until Nala raised her voice and called out, "Quiet! Quiet! The cubs will hear!"

The pride quickly quietened down: with a few exceptions, they had no desire to alarm the cubs.

"I think we're all overreacting", Nala said soothingly, "If there's one thing we learned last night it's that hyenas are just predators too, not monsters. They're not going to destroy the Pride Lands".

Zazu the hornbill suddenly landed with a crash in front of her, startling everyone. He was breathing hard and looked exhausted. He turned to Simba.

"Sire!" Zazu gasped, struggling to regain his breath.

"Zazu? What's wrong?" Simba asked.

"It's…it's the hyenas, sire. They attacked the wildebeest herd this morning! It was a massacre! I've just visited the site of the killing myself. According to my sources they lost fourteen herd members!"

Silence struck once again. Next to Simba, Nala shuffled awkwardly. Zazu surveyed the lions, looking back and forth between them.

"Sorry, did that come at a bad time?" he asked.

"No, on the contrary, that was brilliant timing", Tumai sneered suddenly, "Fourteen dead wildebeest within a few hours of them being allowed into the Pride Lands? That doesn't sound like the work of predators to me, but _monsters_".

Simba tried to defend himself, "No, listen, obviously they were going to start off by satisfying their collective hunger, but in time…"

Nobody listened. Disgusted, the lions turned away and went grumbling back to their individual caves and dens. There was no mistaking the looks in their eyes. They looked angry, betrayed and some were even mutinous.

* * *

Ridikill walked away from his unexpected meeting with Amaryllis the lioness. He began to turn south, back towards the hyena clan, but then changed his mind and went southwest, towards the river.

He stormed on alone with a scowl on his face, but when he was sure he was alone and nobody could see him, he dropped the snarl and instead looked deep in thought. He was vexed by the lioness and her almost…friendly behaviour towards him. Ridikill wasn't used to it from his own kind, let alone his worst enemies. Why was she so tolerant of him, and even forgiving? It was beyond his understanding.

What was also beyond his understanding was how it made him feel. He didn't really feel angry, despite the flare of rage he had shown to Amaryllis. That had just been to mask his confusion and stop him from looking silly and weak. But why didn't he feel angry?

He felt more…curious than anything else. He wanted to know why she was so tolerant of him despite the obvious contempt he tried to display towards her. And not the reasons that she had given him; all that about him actually being 'not evil' and all that, but why _she_, out of all the creatures he had met in his lifetime, had analyzed his behaviour and concluded he wasn't a bad individual. And indeed why she had felt inclined to spend time around him at all.

If Ridikill was more honest with himself, he would have admitted that he wanted to know more about her. And if he was brutally honest, he would have turned about, headed back for the waterhole and talked to her.

But Ridikill didn't have the courage to admit to these facts and so he went seeking the only other source of answers there was for him. Mamacala the crocodile.

After three hours of silent wandering, passing occasional lone herbivores or entire herds, he saw the stretch of river where he most commonly met Mamacala. He approached, passing under a low acacia tree. As he did, he nearly stepped on a giant rock python that was coiled up into a tight ball, almost invisible despite its great size thanks to the camouflage its mottled hide gave it among the fallen branches.

The python didn't move or speak or hiss when Ridikill so nearly stepped on it. It gave no indication it was alive at all, but Ridikill knew from his experience with reptiles it was. He studied the giant snake for a moment, wondering how big it really was when it uncoiled itself, then realized he had better be moving on when he concluded the python might actually be big enough to cause trouble. He trotted away without saying a word to the snake.

Kachero watched him go silently, then when the hyena had descended the slope of the river bank noiselessly slid up the acacia tree and slipped into one of the strongest boughs. From his vantage point he had a clear view of the hyena.

Ridikill usually had to wait quite some time for Mamacala to appear: after all, the two never made any arrangements to meet and the crocodile had the entire length of the river as his domain to wander. But today the hyena saw Mamacala lying on the bank before him, as still as the python he had just met. The giant crocodile lay there with his mouth open, sunning himself. His incredible length dominated the sandbar: he looked more like a fallen great tree than an animal. His eyes were closed as Ridikill approached to just outside striking range and sat down.

Without opening his eyes the crocodile rasped in his deep but scratchy voice, "Ridikill. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Just to my desire to see you, O Lord of the Rivers".

"We went through this routine last time we met, Ridikill. You never seek me out unless you want something. Last time you wanted to hear an old croc's war stories. What is it this time?"

"You make it sound like I never do anything for you", Ridikill leered: this kind of banter and Mamacala's meticulous way of talking had already rekindled his momentarily quashed villainous side, "Last time I also informed you of affairs in the Pride Lands".

"Ah yes. There has been big changes, has there not? Your kind is allowed in the Pride Lands"

"Word travels fast", Ridikill grunted in surprise: Mamacala usually appeared to be in the dark about such issues for quite some time. The hyena had been looking forward to telling the crocodile.

"Oh, I hear snippets of news now and then", the crocodile explained: what he didn't mention was that he had known almost immediately after the negotiations had closed thanks to his network of spies, and that in fact he had ordered his spies to spread the word throughout the Pride Lands. It was thanks to him that the news had spread so fast.

"So, you're officially a citizen of the Pride Lands now, eh?" Mamacala said, "You must be thrilled".

"Elated", the hyena sneered, "Well, at least the food's good. The clan gorged itself this morning. Quite a few kills".

The crocodile still hadn't opened his eyes once, "Well at any rate we shall see how the residence of the hyenas in the Pride Lands goes. In the meantime: what do you want then? Out with it".

"Well, if you insist", the hyena paused and licked his chops, suddenly feeling a little uneasy again, "There's um…well, this ain't an easy thing for me to talk about. But…um…"

He hesitated. What was he going to say? That he'd met a female lion who'd made him wonder about his own morals? That was a bit much to say all at once. He decided to start slowly.

"Well…I'm a bit…confused. I've met this…person…"

Mamacala might have been patient when hunting but he was not so tolerant when it came to conversation, "Yes, and?"

"Uhm…err…well…it's a different kind of person", Ridikill wasn't about to say that she was a lioness, that wouldn't look good for the self-proclaimed lion-hater, "She's a…female".

Mamacala didn't like the way this conversation was going, "And?" He was preparing to reprimand the hyena for seeking a female companion, because that was the biggest weakness a creature could have. Ridikill, who had been a loner for most of his life, was so naïve in such matters that the hyena was probably a little confused.

Ridikill stuttered on, "Err…well…there's a few things I don't understand. She's...well…different from me".

Mamacala's eyes shot open. Exactly _how_ naïve was Ridikill?

"And I'm a little confused", the hyena said, head lowered and brow furrowed, "You see, what I don't get is…"

"Stop right there, Ridikill", the crocodile ordered, "If you're undergoing biological urges then I suggest you don't fill me in on the gory details. And if you want companionship from a female, then I insist you don't proceed down that line of thought. If you want to…pass on your genes then by all means go ahead, assuming you know how. But do not become emotionally attached, or…"

"What?! No, that's not what I'm talking about!" Ridikill was so horrified by Mamacala's own version of the 'birds and the bees' talk that he dared to interrupt, "I know all about _that_! That ain't what I'm talking about!"

"Oh. Praise the rains", Mamacala said, relieved, "Then what _are_ you talking about, you annoying little creature?"

"Right, let's see how I can explain", the hyena was still a little disgusted with what Mamacala had been saying, "Okay. Well, I ran into this…well…okay, she's a lioness".

Without missing a beat Mamacala rumbled, "I thought you hated lions".

"I know, I do. But I got talking to her. And she says she doesn't think I'm…well you know…evil".

"And why did you listen to her?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I guess because she seemed kinda reasonable. Tolerant. Like, she refused to be provoked. I ain't met nobody like that before".

"I see".

Silence fell. Ridikill knew Mamacala wasn't pleased. From his perch Kachero watched intently.

At last the crocodile said, "I see what's happened here, Ridikill. And you did the right thing by seeking out my advice".

"Oh?" Ridikill was pleased; the tone of the crocodile's voice wasn't wrathful as he had feared; in fact it was almost kindly.

"Yes. You see, the lions have wisely chosen to _spy_ on their new neighbours. An impulse borne of mistrust. This lioness you have encountered was so tolerant and accepting towards you because she has been ordered to learn more about the hyenas and their way and motives. You fell for their trick, but you were wise to doubt her and search me out".

"Oh", Ridikill said again.

"Don't fall for the lies of the lioness. She has no interest in you. She is trying to trick you. Luckily she chose the wrong hyena to try and manipulate. A lesser, weaker hyena would have trusted her more readily".

Ridikill nodded slowly, "That makes sense".

"Good. Now, is there anything else?"

"Uhm…no, mighty Mamacala".

"Then away with you. You have the herds to terrorize. Go and enjoy yourself, my faithful follower. But stay in contact. I will have need of you soon".

"Need? What could I ever do to help you, Mamacala?"

"You'll see. For now, get you gone".

Ridikill picked himself up and walked away, trotting back up the riverbank. Mamacala watched him go. When he was gone he looked up at the acacia tree at the spying Kachero, and the python shifted in acknowledgement. The crocodile turned about and slid into the river.

Mamacala was a little concerned about the latest development with Ridikill. Of course he had made up the whole 'lion spy' thing to simply make the hyena distrust his new associate. In reality the crocodile suspected Ridikill had simply met a remarkably patient and good-natured creature who was perhaps subtly trying to coax a nicer side of Ridikill out. The hyena, who had never had a kind word said to him in his life, was baffled by it and more than a little curious.

It would not do for Ridikill to strike up a friendship with anyone, lioness or otherwise, especially as Mamacala's plan grew ever nearer to execution. What was required of Ridikill would require the conscience of a murderer, a traitor and a swindler.

Mamacala had raised Ridikill to be all those things, ever since he first found Ridikill wandering alone in the night at a young age. He was Mamacala's favourite protégé. Kachero had asked him the night before why Ridikill was so highly regarded by the crocodile – the answer was simple.

Ridikill was as close to being a reptile as a mammal could be, thanks to the crocodile's tutelage in cruelty and scheming. He was without friends, he was without compassion, he was without sentimental attachments, he was without mercy. In that sense Mamacala had rid him of his mammalian emotional frailty.

But it was also for those emotions that Mamacala favoured Ridikill. Although he reprimanded him whenever he caught him letting his anger run away with him, he actually goaded it on subtly. The hyena's emotions were a curse and also a gift – a gift that was largely denied to reptiles like himself and Kachero. They felt only very shallow husks of emotions compared to what Mamacala understood mammals felt. They felt everything so much _deeper_.

And that was why Mamacala favoured Ridikill: because he was an inimitable experiment of the crocodile's. The crocodile had nurtured the hyena's anger and rage from a young age, offering guidance but not love to a loveless creature, steering him inevitably towards his fate: to become a near perfect blend of reptilian cruelty and mammalian passion.

Now if only Mamacala could prevent the hyena from getting cold feet at this most critical hour. That wouldn't be too difficult. Mamacala had told him to avoid the lioness, and Ridikill always did as Mamacala told him.

* * *

Ridikill wandered away, not really sure where to go. He was thinking about what Mamacala had said, about the lioness being an enemy spy. It seemed logical at first – after all, why else would someone be so tolerant of him?

But the more he thought about it he realized that that wasn't the case. After all, the lioness had first spoken to him well before 'open war' had been declared. And the questions she had asked him had been rather more personal than trying to learn about the clan's movements.

Most importantly, Ridikill just knew it wasn't that. The lioness was genuine. There was no amount of skilful acting that could account for her behaviour. No, she was genuine, Ridikill was certain of that. Or at any rate, she definitely wasn't a lion spy.

That meant that Mamacala was wrong. Mamacala was never wrong. Mamacala was _always_ right. Except in this case he hadn't been. So what did that mean? Was he wrong about other things too?

The thoughts rolled around inside Ridikill's head. He spat ruefully. It was beginning to frustrate him. But one thing occurred to him. If the lioness _wasn't_ a manipulative spy, then Mamacala had been rather hasty to declare that he couldn't speak to her again. If there was no danger involved, then why shouldn't he?

He mentally reproached himself for questioning Mamacala's orders, but then found himself deciding to proceed down that line of thought. He would see the lioness again and find out more about her. He would confirm or disprove Mamacala's 'spy' theory and find out why she was so patient and accepting.

* * *

It was evening when Amaryllis crept back into Pride Rock. There was nobody else around. She headed up the slope towards the den of the cubs, where she intended to see Amabi. He was probably asleep. It had suddenly occurred to Amaryllis that running away from Pride Rock without telling Amabi she was going was selfish of her.

After her chance meeting with Ridikill the hyena, she had lied about by the waterhole for about an hour, before picking herself up and wandering around aimlessly, thinking. She had had plenty of time to calm down and think over her actions. She was dreadfully sorry, and hoped Vitani would forgive her. It was difficult enough to overcome the shame.

She turned a corner in the path and nearly bumped right into Vitani. The other lioness scowled, then froze when she saw it was Amaryllis. Several other lionesses were following Vitani.

Amaryllis and Vitani stared at each other for a while, neither shifting. Then at last Vitani relaxed and said, "We're going hunting. You coming?"

Amaryllis smiled in relief. It was Vitani's attempt at a peace offering. It pained her to say, "Sorry, I can't, I need to go look after Amabi".

"Amabi's fine, I told him you probably wouldn't be back until the morning. He's asleep. Tenzer's looking after him".

"Oh, right. Thanks".

"No sweat".

Nobody moved. Eventually Vitani said, "So, you coming or what?"

Amaryllis grinned, "Yeah, I guess I am".

"Let's get going then. Come on, the males are whingeing like cubs. We could use your skills".

The lionesses went on down Pride Rock and out onto the plains. They chatted idly for a while, aware that there was no game nearby to alert. Vitani slipped away from the front of the pack and strode side-by-side with Amaryllis.

"I'm sorry", Amaryllis said: both of them knew what she was referring to.

"Don't be. I should be the one apologizing", Vitani replied, "I got carried away. I didn't mean to get too personal. I'm sorry".

"That's okay. Sorry I hurt you".

"Hurt me?" Vitani laughed, "Oh come on honey, you should know by now that the likes of _you_ could never hurt _me_".

Amaryllis giggled, "Oh but of course. I suppose you were just acting then?"

"Yup, you got it. Right down to the whole-bleeding thing. I'm very good with details".

The pair laughed for a moment, glad to be friends again, then fell quiet. Amaryllis eventually spoke up.

"Do you really think I'm responsible for the whole hyena thing?"

"Eh, what? No, of course not. I was just being stupid. I felt like I needed someone to blame. Almost like a…a scapegoat".

Amaryllis blinked. That had been exactly what the hyena said. Perhaps he wasn't such a bad judge of character after all.

Vitani said, "But I was wrong to take it out on you. I'm sorry".

"It's okay. Let's just put this behind us, yeah?"

"Yeah. But I'm afraid Amabi knows about it".

"Really?" Amaryllis felt her heart sink.

"Yeah. The entire pride is in a bit of an uproar. There was a bit of a fall-out after you left".

Vitani filled her in on the details of the challenging of King Simba, and the news of the hyena massacre of the wildebeest herd.

When she was finished Amaryllis said to her, "And how do you feel about it?"

"About the hyena thing? Pretty mad, I guess. I feel like we've been let down by Simba. He's been weak-hearted. The hyenas played him like a fool. And bear in mind that I'm a member of the royal family, so it ain't easy for me to say that".

"But what if the hyenas being here turned out to not be so bad? What would you…"

"The hyenas being here can _only_ be bad", Vitani interrupted.

"But just imagine for a second it wasn't. Imagine that hyenas weren't so bad themselves. What would you think of Simba then, for realizing that first?"

Vitani frowned as if she was trying very hard to imagine such a scenario, "I suppose I'd say he was very perceptive. Why, you think hyenas ain't so bad or something?"

"I'm not sure. I guess I'm just saying it's worth giving it a chance".

"Well, we'll see", Amaryllis could tell from Vitani's tone that she didn't agree but was biting her tongue to keep the peace, "Well, if the hyenas ate this morning we shouldn't have any trouble from them while we're hunting", Vitani went on, "You see any earlier?"

Amaryllis paused. Was she about to explain Ridikill to Vitani? Hardly. Vitani would say the hyper-aggressive hyena was just a classic example of the threat they faced. But Amaryllis suspected, from her earlier meeting, that there was another side to the hyena, one that perhaps even Ridikill didn't know existed.

So she just said, "Yeah, I saw one. But he was in the distance – I didn't get a proper look at him".

* * *

Banzai sat alone on a hillock overlooking the mooching hyena clan. Night was falling and usually the hyenas would be out in force, hunting, but after their massive meal in the morning nobody felt the need for more food. Yet. It wouldn't take long.

The dog hyena yawned and scratched behind his ear with his hind leg. He was mostly doing this out of habit rather than because of an itch – he had already noticed a big drop in the number of fleas since he had arrived in the Pride Lands. Everything seemed healthier here.

The cool night was pleasant and the hyena sat watching his followers loitering around, sleeping, quarrelling, gossiping, laughing, and playing. Everybody was in high spirits, but Banzai was secretly troubled. He knew that before long it was likely that they'd be evicted from the Pride Lands. The lion pride seemed to object so strongly to their presence there that he was pretty sure they'd kick out their own King before they consented to co-exist any longer with the hyenas.

So while he had access to the Pride Lands, he intended to live life to its fullest. Of course he had a responsibility to take care of the clan but…

It occurred to him how he had changed since the days of Scar's reign. Although he had been clan leader back then as well, these days he took his role of leader more seriously. He usually thought of the clan first, then himself. It was a pain in the butt most of the time, but he realized it was the right thing to do. After all, Scar had been an awful, careless leader, and he had been completely self-absorbed. So to Banzai's logic, the answer to being a good leader lay in the direct opposite of Scar's path.

Ed would have laughed at him and Shenzi would have called him a moron or something like that if they had heard him say these things aloud, but he had to question himself once in a while. He was determined not to screw things up for the guys he cared about. After all, he was a little older and a little wiser now.

There was something else bothering him. Shenzi. He wasn't exactly sure what it was that was bothering him, but there was definitely something. It felt a bit like the balance of power in their relationship had shifted slightly. These days Banzai found himself on the receiving end of actual goddamned _compliments_ from Shenzi, not often but on occasion. That was unheard of until lately. And what's more, Banzai liked it. He didn't know why.

He knew one of the most popular rumours the clan liked to circulate when they were bored was that he and Shenzi were secretly mates, thus explaining why neither of them had ever taken a mate before. Of course that was just a trashy rumour. Banzai knew very well how he felt about Shenzi. She was the most cynical, rude, demanding, obnoxious, know-it-all, pain in the butt best friend he could ever wish for. That was how their relationship stood.

Or was it? Banzai was beginning to get confused by all this heavy-duty thinking. He slumped down on the soft grass and sighed deeply, then said quietly, "Oh man, why am I acting like this?"

"Because you love her", a strange, goofy voice said.

Banzai nearly leapt ten feet straight into the air. He whirled around to see Ed facing him, drooling, eyes crossed and ears twitching.

"Dude! You have _totally_ got to stop sneaking up on people like that!" Banzai exclaimed.

Ed grinned and held his head at an angle. What the oddball had actually said suddenly hit home for Banzai and he was stunned.

"Dude…dude…ya got it all wrong, man. It's nothin' like that. I ain't…um…I wouldn't…err…"

Ed snickered. Banzai, unable to say anything more, scowled and walked off.

* * *

Far away from the Pride Lands, Rafiki ambled on, alone and silent. He was heading far west of Simba's realm. He had left no messages and said no goodbyes – he just left unannounced, as he was prone to do. He had a mission now of utmost urgency, but it was many miles or travel and untold miles of searching stretching before him. If he had known the threat posed to the Pride Lands earlier, he would have left long ago. He only hoped now it wasn't too late.

No news had reached his ears yet of how things were going in the Pride Lands, but he knew things were amiss already. Simba's authority was threatened, not from outside the Pride but from within. But neither lion nor hyena was the greatest peril for the future of the Pride Lands.

That came from a sleepless malice, an ancient mind of much cruel wisdom that was rich in the evil arts of deception, preying upon lesser minds and cunning twisting of the thoughts of others. At last, this great evil that had long lain dormant but never actually slept was moving, and though neither had met the other in long years, both Rafiki and Mamacala were very much aware of each other and their doings.

Rafiki had only one hope and it was a faint one. But all of a sudden his care-worn face creased up into warm laughter.

"Oh old Mamacala", he chuckled, "You've told your followers much of yourself, I'm sure, but I bet you never told them how you lost your toes!"

* * *


	14. Socialising

Author's notes: I'm very very sorry for the long delay in posting the new chapter, but I somehow managed to break my super-duper advanced PC that I recently spent a sickening amount of money on in a desperate attempt to get out of using 1990's computer technology. My pc is now repaired, but unfortunately it hampered my progress on the fic by a good 2 weeks, as you can imagine. Excuses, excuses. But here it is, at long last. In a desperate attempt to keep my audience interested and get this chapter online I may have rushed it a little. Bear with me, normal service will be resumed ASAP.

We begin this chapter with a flashback, for two reasons: (1) to explain a few inconsistencies and to throw some light on some areas of the TLK movies and (2) because I said so.

Anyway, once again, thank you al very much for your kind reviews. I've definitely become very fond of the story's consistent followers, as well as anyone else who has a read once in a while obviously. Please leave a review if you feel like putting the energy into one.

Here's the character list.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

Zira had been half-dead when the hyenas found her. She was lying in a puddle of stagnant water at the end of a gorge. Shattered driftwood lay about her and much of her body was crushed. Shenzi, Banzai, Ed and about half a dozen other hyenas had been on their way back to the Elephant Graveyard from an expedition to recruit more members to the clan they were struggling to rebuild when they spotted her. 

As Shenzi approached she could see Zira was not going to survive. Her wounds were not immediately fatal but she would never walk again. Her eyes were filled with painful hatred, her lips were curled back to show her teeth and her breathing came in laboured gasps.

"Zira", Shenzi said as they neared the lioness.

Zira finally noticed them and looked up to see the hyenas staring at her. She spat in disgust and growled even though the act sent spasms of pain crashing through her destroyed body. Zira had hated the necessity of the hyenas in Scar's plans. She viewed them with more contempt than Scar and even the other lionesses did, but she was willing to stoop very low to stay in power.

Like the other lionesses the first Zira had known of Scar's plans was when one hundred hyenas poured into Pride Rock. She had approached Scar soon after, who until then had just been the jealous little brother of Mufasa to her. Scar had seemingly recognized in her a twisted spirit like his own and he had told her everything that had lead to his crowning, including the murder of his brother.

At first Zira had been disgusted and said she was going to tell the other lionesses. Scar had assured her she wouldn't. And sure enough she found herself admiring the cunning of Scar and his sublime methods. She had fallen in love with him and sired two of his cubs, but when that had produced only a weakling deficient male called Nuka and a more powerful but still female Vitani, Scar had suggested that Zira find herself someone else to father her a more powerful cub that Scar would adopt as his heir. Hence Kovu.

But throughout Scar and Zira's warped romance Zira had never been able to tolerate the hyenas with grace. She could see the need for them in Scar's plan but that didn't stop her regretting every minute she spent in the company of them. She held particular hatred for Scar's main henchmen, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. She failed to see why exactly they had become so powerful, lording over even her, for Scar had insisted that their affair should be kept somewhat discreet and refused to openly make Zira his Queen.

"You", Zira hissed with venom as the hyenas looked over her, crushed and helpless, "What do _you_ want?"

"And hello to you too", Banzai grinned, "You're looking well".

The hyenas laughed and Zira snarled in impotent fury. There was nothing she could do to stop the taunts of the hyenas.

"What happened?" Shenzi asked, looking at the driftwood and the shattered logs.

"That doesn't concern you, you hyena harlot!" the lioness howled, "But to cut a long story short let's just say I was trying to do something that you should have done yourselves years ago: avenge Scar's murder".

The hyenas looked at her. She glared back defiantly.

"Uh…who do you think killed Scar, honey?" Shenzi asked.

"That wicked brute Simba! Don't play dumb with me, you witch-sister of jackals! You had the luxury of being there at his final glorious stand while I…I was too loyal to him for my own good and was off hunting. _For him_."

Shenzi sighed. During Scar's reign over the Pride Lands she had been well aware of what exactly the relationship between Zira and Scar had been well before the cub Nuka had been born and it had become common knowledge. She had despised the distorted lioness as an egotistical eccentric, similar to Scar but without anything worthy of Shenzi's respect, which was something Scar's scheming and housing of the hyenas had won.

"Well, I suppose you could say Simba killed Scar", Banzai was saying, cutting short Shenzi's reminiscing, "But not technically. See, I'm sure Simba would have let him live if it weren't for one little problem".

"What are you talking about?" Zira gasped between clenched teeth as her crushed rear legs screamed with pain.

"That's right Banzai", Shenzi nodded, "See, Scar somewhat offended us. _We_ saw him die because _we_ killed him".

Zira's eyes widened and her jaw hung open. With horror she realized she had been trying to kill the wrong enemy for the last few years. All along the hyenas had been…

"Yeah, you see, we're what you'd call…hmm…what did Scar call us?" Banzai wondered, "Oh yeah! We're the _real _enemy".

"Oh yeah, that was it honey", Shenzi stepped towards Zira, "_We're_ the enemy. Sorry you heard it a bit late sugar. You must be upset you had it wrong the whole time".

"But…but…no…" Zira whispered to herself. Her hatred of Simba had totally consumed her and her entire pride. She had become utterly obsessed with the image of Simba looming over Scar's noble corpse, his muzzle stained with the older lion's lifeblood. But Simba had merely defeated him. Zira had wanted to exact her revenge on Scar's murderers as much as she had wanted to exact revenge on Simba for being exiled.

Haunted eyes of stricken pain and powerless hatred stared up at the approaching hyenas. She was too wracked with physical and emotional pain to move her body. She just stared open-mouthed at the hyenas.

"You…you…killed…him….my love…my beautiful Scar…" she managed to wheeze.

"Yup", Banzai said cheerfully, "Tell you what; if you wanna know exactly what happened to him, we can stage a little reconstruction for ya. Whatcha think, Shenz?"

Shenzi nodded, "Sounds good to me".

The pair turned to look at their comrade who was staring at Zira blankly, and they said in unison, "Ed?"

Ed chuckled quietly and licked his lips.

The hyenas cackled and closed in. Zira could only watch helplessly as they leapt on her and tore her apart.

* * *

Shenzi woke with a start. She'd been dreaming, but it wasn't a typical dream. Most dreams seemed to just be made up of nonsense, but her final meeting with Zira…that had actually happened, several years ago while she'd been trying to gather together remnants of the clan. She wondered why she'd dreamed of that. Strange. It made her uneasy. It wasn't exactly her finest moment. 

She looked around. It was night, or actually very early morning, judging by the shade of the sky. Dozens of clan members lolled around nearby, with more sleeping soundly. She could see Banzai and Ed sleeping next to each other nearby. She smiled: they looked far more peaceful than they ever did when they were awake. A sudden urge to lie down with them rose within her: it was something they hadn't done since they were cubs. She shrugged and walked over.

As she did something rustled in the acacia trees above her, passing swiftly from one tree to the next. She couldn't see clearly, but it was probably baboons. What would baboons be doing so close to a clan of flesh-eating hyenas? Morons. That was asking for trouble.

She stepped up towards Banzai and Ed, then paused. What was she doing? It wouldn't do for the leader of the clan to be seen cuddling with her two cronies. It wasn't good for her image as a ruthless leader. She turned and trotted over to beneath a different tree, on her own. She curled up beneath it; it was cold at night even during the dry season and she shivered a little.

Shenzi tried to block out the thoughts whirling around her mind: her dream, her responsibility to the clan as their leader, her treaty with Simba and the lions, Ridikill's threat to her leadership, and most of all, the weird incident with Banzai earlier in the day.

But what was _weirder_ than the cub-like behaviour they'd engaged in was Ed's reaction to it. He had smirked at them, and as Shenzi had followed him, demanding to know what he found funny, he'd said something odd.

"Why exactly do you find this so damn funny?" Shenzi had snarled.

"Because you love him", was all Ed had said when out of Banzai's earshot, taking Shenzi by surprise.

Ed rarely talked. He'd never explained why. In fact until the other day most of the clan had thought he was mute. But he could talk, and when he did on those rare occasions that he felt strongly enough about something to voice his opinion, usually in front of only Shenzi and Banzai, he seemed pretty smart. Sooner or later though he'd revert to the drooling lunatic everyone thought he was.

Shenzi had her own theory about Ed. She figured Ed could be clever when he needed to be, but in order to do that he needed to spend most of his time gathering his mental power. When he needed to he'd release this energy all at once for a short burst, then to conserve energy he'd return to normal and let her and Banzai do the thinking for them.

At last that was her opinion. Ed wasn't right in the head, that much was obvious. For one thing, what the hell had he meant by implying Shenzi loved Banzai? What was that little freak talking about?

After all, Shenzi and Banzai had known each other since they were cubs, and there had never once during their companionship been the hint of anything resembling romance. At least not as far as Shenzi had noticed.

They were friends. Shenzi could never see Banzai in any other light after so many years. Anyway, why would there be such a recent change in their relationship now, of all times…

Her train of thought was interrupted. Something crushed the wind out of her, and she nearly blacked out. Before she could recover or understand what was happening something tore into her, slashing and rending her flesh and spilling her blood into the soil.

* * *

Vitani lunged and tackled her prey, driving her claws into the zebra's rump and flinging herself onto the creature's back. The herbivore plunged on ahead through the night, foaming at the mouth and its tiny red eyes open wide. It didn't slow down as Vitani struggled to use her weight to yank it to the floor. 

The zebra mare bucked suddenly and Vitani nearly fell. If she had fallen she would have been at risk from a kick from one of those sharp and strong hooves. She hung on grimly to the zebra and waited for reinforcements.

Two other lionesses bolted out of the dark suddenly and leapt at the herbivore. The zebra was caught off-balance and toppled over, hooting loudly and kicking. Vitani and one lioness did their best to hold it down while the other lioness sank her canines into the throat, slicing the arteries. Within a moment the powerful creature had stopped struggling and the lionesses relaxed their hold. The rest of the hunting pack bounded up and surveyed their kill.

"Successful", Sharhal said.

"Just", Vitani growled in good-humour, "Where was the backup? I nearly had the living snot kicked out of me".

"Come on, we'd better get something else if we're going to keep the pride happy", Amaryllis said.

"No, we'll call it quits for today", Vitani said, "We'll cope on this for the day, then go hunting again tomorrow night. Everyone okay with that?"

Everyone nodded: nobody was eager to stay out for longer than necessary at night with the hyenas around. Three lionesses gripped the zebra in their teeth and began to drag it home.

As they headed back Amaryllis noticed something in the corner of her eye. It was a huge python sitting on top of a ruined old termite mound. It seemed to be looking directly at them, and what's more it turned its head to keep them in its field of vision, which she thought was unusual. Snakes tended not to take much notice of anything that wasn't either predator or prey, and since the lionesses were not big enough or small enough to be either, it struck Amaryllis as odd.

"Hey Vitani", she whispered, "Don't look, but there's this big python curled up around that old termite mound there. You see him?"

Vitani subtly angled her head to catch a glimpse of the great snake without looking directly, " Yeah. So?"

"Well, I know it sounds weird but I swear that that python is…watching us. It's looking right at us and watching where we go. What could it be after?"

Vitani snorted, "Come on Amaryllis, you're jumping at shadows. Snakes aren't usually out in the cold of the night. It's probably just an old one whose lost and confused, trying to figure out where he is. What harm could he do? Reptiles might be a bit creepy, Amy, but they're basically harmless".

* * *

Shenzi struggled for air as…_something_ savaged her. She didn't have a clue what was happening. One moment she had been lying still beneath a tree and now she was being torn to pieces by a mysterious assailant. 

She was being constantly buffeted around, and if she tried to rise up, she was struck down again with a crack to the side of her head or her flank. The only time Shenzi had ever experienced anything like it was when she was a cub and had gotten caught in the wet season's first onslaught of torrential rain. She had been playing alone in a dried-up riverbed but frighteningly quickly it had filled up with brown froth and before she knew what was going on she was washed down the newly reformed stream, struggling in the currents and trying to keep her head above the surface to breathe. Luckily she had managed to catch herself on a rock and scramble out before the stream joined the main river, but the experience had badly frightened her.

Now she felt it all over again. She felt like she was drowning. Every time she tried to get some breathing space the mysterious force was all over her, striking her back down and rolling her around like she was a songbird caught in a storm. She couldn't even tell what side she was lying on.

But Shenzi was tough and in no mood to die today. She realized she needed to figure out what was going on - and quickly if she was going to survive, so she forced her cut eyelids open and saw a whirlwind of movement on top of her. She managed to look down and see her belly. So she was lying on her back and the attacker was tearing into her underside.

Now that she had a rough idea of what was going on, her amazingly calm mind told her what to do. She writhed around and tried to sink her teeth into part of her assailant. All she got in return for her efforts was a blow to the head. Then she felt a deep pressure on her throat, and realized it was the paw or claw of her enemy pressing down on her neck to hold her still. There was a blast of hot breath on her neck and she realized that it was going for a throat bite to end her.

The surprise attack and the rapid loss of blood would have left most hyenas too weak and shocked to resist the final death blow her foe had planned for her, but Shenzi wasn't 'most hyenas'. With the angry realization that she didn't want to die like this, she swung her neck up and opened her jaws wide and bit down.

There was an almighty crunch followed by a howl of pain. Shenzi tasted fur, blood and flesh. Her teeth scraped against bone. Still she hung on, biting deeper and shaking her neck to widen the wound she had inflicted.

Suddenly the enemy wrenched free violently. Shenzi rolled to her feet at a speed she had no idea she could achieve, snarling defiantly. She couldn't see very well and prepared herself for another attack. It never came.

Instead she heard Banzai's voice, "Oh my God, Shenz, are you okay?!"

"Huh?" she said thickly: she felt blood dripping from what felt like a hundred thousand wounds all over her body. Hot drops of crimson fell on her snout from her blood-matted topknot. Her eyes seemed covered by a red veil of burst blood vessels. Even her tongue seemed to be bleeding.

She could hear well though, and heard outraged shouting and shrieks of disbelief and panic. Again, she had no idea what was going on. Where was her attacker?

She had no idea how long she stood there on shaky legs, dripping blood and staring ahead with unseeing eyes. But gradually the red haze in front of her eyes began to fade. She moved her head to look around, her body screaming with pain. Suddenly she saw who had attacked her.

Lying on its back in amongst a crowd of angry hyena onlookers was a large leopard. It was gasping and wheezing, and blood stained its white chest. When Shenzi had bit back, she had snapped the creature's collar bone. At least now she understood why she was bleeding so profusely and how the leopard had managed to get the drop on her so easily. Leopards, unlike lions, attacked not only with their jaws and forepaws, but also their hind legs, tearing and slashing their enemies with a fury the much larger lions could not hope to match. Also, leopards were masters of the treetops and expert stalkers: the leopard had leapt down on top of her from the very tree she was sitting under.

Banzai and Ed suddenly reared up in front of her, looking horrified, "Shenz, don't move! We'll help you! Take it easy!" Banzai yelped.

"No, wait" she managed to say as she tottered towards the leopard, and looked down on it, "Who are you and why did you try to kill me?"

The leopard panted and gurgled, but it still somehow managed to maintain a smug smile of assured superiority, "My name is Mali", it practically purred.

Mali looked up at the assembled hyenas. They had woken up quickly and charged to their leader's rescue once they had heard his howl of pain. Now they looked on with the distress of deeply confused, troubled and angered beings. That pleased him, at least. It was a small grain of comfort to take with him as he died.

"And I wanted to kill you because…" suddenly a spasm of pain shot through him and he coughed violently, but he continued, "Because you're the leader of this collection of ill-bred thugs, aren't you? You're the one responsible for the hyena presence in the Pride Lands. I had to end it. I had to end your invasion, you filth-ridden…"

"You're living on borrowed time", Shenzi said slowly, "I'd hurry up and say your last words if I were you".

"Fine. Simba failed me. I thought he was a strong leader. I was sure he'd stand up to the likes of you…but no. He failed. So I felt it was up to me to rid the Pride Lands of you".

"That's it? Just 'cos you hate us?" Shenzi stared.

"You'll never understand just how _deeply_ I hate your kind", Mali hissed between his teeth, "Murderers, pillagers, thieves, monsters, remorseless villains…you needed to be taught a lesson. I tried…"

"But realize this, hyenas! You will _never_ be welcome in the Pride Lands! Not so long as one being has the strength of will and the sense to resist you! You'll never be at peace within the hallowed Pride Lands, I promise you that!"

The hyenas had heard enough. They closed in at a sign from Banzai, opening their jaws and baring their teeth.

Mali watched them loom over him. It should have been so simple. All he had to do was leap down on that accursed leader, snuff the life out of her repulsive body, and leap back into the trees and retreat. It would have crippled the hyena invasion. It had all failed because of a silly mistake on his behalf: he had underestimated the hyena leader.

And now it had cost him his life. But if that was going to be his end, so be it. He had given his life to a cause he knew was right. He was a hero, a martyr. A fitting end for Mali the leopard, noble of the Pride Lands.

The hyenas tore him open and abruptly crushed the life out of his handsome body and left him broken on the floor.

Shenzi was quivering and she was struggling to stay on her feet. Banzai and Ed surveyed her wounds with horror.

"How bad am I, guys?" Shenzi asked.

"Um…bad" Banzai said dumbly.

"Like…life-threatening bad or what?" she replied thickly.

"I don't know!" Banzai's voice sounded strained, "Listen, just lie down. We'll get you something to eat and drink. You take it easy".

Immediately Shenzi flopped down on the floor and passed out. She was dimly aware of alarmed shrieking and shouting as she collapsed.

* * *

Ridikill stared at the pond. It was as flat as the Pride Land horizon. There was no whisper of wind to ripple the surface. A dragonfly landed on the surface, causing ripples that grew to circles that didn't cease until they broke on the banks. 

Several days of relative peace had passed in the Pride Lands since the attack on Shenzi. The hyenas continued to hunt at night, as did the lions, but somehow the two had managed to completely avoid each other at all times, so there was no conflict.

In the hyena clan there was a great deal of uproar and horror at the attempt on Shenzi's life. Shenzi herself now spent all her time in an abandoned aardvark burrow, visited by only Ed and Banzai, who brought her food. On two occasions they convinced her to hobble outside and walk down to the waterhole with them to drink. Ridikill had seen her on one of those occasions. She had seemed feverish and dopey, not really aware of what was going on around her.

Ridikill would normally have relished something that left Shenzi so vulnerable, but he had been in an odd mood for the last few days and the concerns of the clan really weren't on his mind.

He had come back to this little pond, where he had met the lioness Amaryllis three times before, every day now since their last chance meeting. Without an explanation to his fellow pack members, he marched off in the morning and remained there until early evening. Occasionally he'd wander off a little, but sooner or later he'd come trotting back, wondering if anything had happened in his absence.

He was waiting to see if Amaryllis would show up, of course. He had managed to admit that to himself by now. It was important that he learned more about her. Yes, it had to be done. For his own good.

Ridikill licked his chops impatiently and scratched behind his ear with his hind leg. He had spent the last few days thinking exclusively about what both Mamacala and Amaryllis had said to him, and what it meant.

It was beginning to look obsessive, returning to the same spot day after day and waiting for hours and hours in silence for somebody who wasn't going to show up, someone he was supposed to hate. But Ridikill preferred to think of himself as 'determined'.

With his foul temper he was of course furious that his vigil so far had gone unrewarded. He blamed Amaryllis, naturally. Where the hell _was she_? Why hadn't she come back? How dare she keep him waiting like this? He spat and cursed quietly.

The hours rolled by. It was mid-afternoon. It wasn't long before Ridikill had fallen asleep, curled up underneath the rushes. He woke with a start when a stork took to the wing, squawking in alarm. He stared ahead groggily, eyes only half-open. He hated falling asleep unplanned. His vision focused a little and he saw Amaryllis on the opposite bank.

He was unable to avoid his reaction. He leapt to his feet, suddenly wide awake. His ears were pricked up and his tail wagged back and forth like he was a carefree cub greeting a playmate.

The bemused Amaryllis stared at him, one eyebrow raised, "If I didn't know better I'd swear you were happy to see me".

Ridikill regained himself and suddenly felt acutely embarrassed. To cover it up he instantly scowled and snarled aggressively.

Amaryllis blinked, "Nice to see you too. Mind if I chill here a while?"

"What are you doing here, lioness?" Ridikill snapped, trying to rebuild his cover of ferocity.

"Oh, I just wanted to get away from Pride Rock for a while. It's not easy raising a cub in these troubled times, you know. It's hectic back at Pride Rock right now. What about you? Why are you here?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I was just passing through and stopped to drink", Ridikill replied.

"Riiiight. That's why you were fast asleep in the shade?"

"Silence!" Ridikill roared, annoyed with himself for making such a silly blunder.

Amaryllis laughed, "You haven't been waiting for me to show up, have you Ridikill?"

"What? No, of course not!"

"If I had known you were looking forward to seeing me I'd have come before".

"I _was not waiting for you_!" Ridikill spat; he couldn't remember the last time he felt so foolish.

"Whatever you say", Amaryllis smiled and leaned forward to lap up a few drops from the pond. Ridikill watched silently.

"So how are you then?" the lioness said when she raised her head.

"You should know by now I'm not one for small talk", Ridikill snorted.

"Puh-lease", Amaryllis cocked one eyebrow, "We went over this last time. I thought we'd made some progress. There's no need to be so defensive all the damn time".

Ridikill, in truth, _did _want to talk, but wasn't about to admit it, "Whatever you say, lioness. If you must know, I'm fine. Enjoying the easy life in the Pride Lands".

"Yeah, I have to say, there's not really been any conflict between our species yet, has there?" Amaryllis sat down and adopted a more casual, less mocking tone.

"No, which of course I find incredibly disappointing".

"But of course. So anything of interest going on in your clan?"

Ridikill paused. Why was she interested in that? Was Mamacala right? Was she just a spy after all?

"Why do you ask?" he said suspiciously.

"Just making conversation", Amaryllis replied, "But if you not up for discussing that I guess that's fair enough. We are technically two hostile tribes and all".

That seemed convincing enough for Ridikill. After all, Amaryllis had never questioned him about the clan before, and if she was a spy he doubted she would be so willing to drop the subject. No, his hunch was right: she was no spy.

"No, if you're interested I can tell you a thing or two", the hyena said, "For a start, the other day our clan leader was attacked by a leopard. We killed it but she was hurt. Also…actually, I guess that's about all that's happened lately. Of interest anyway."

Amaryllis was staring, "She's injured? That's awful. Is she hurt bad?"

"I don't know", Ridikill grunted irritably, "Yeah, I guess so. Dunno if she'll make it or not".

Amaryllis looked horrified, "Oh, I hope she gets better".

"Why? What do you care?"

"I don't wish death on anybody".

"Fine words for a predator", Ridikill sneered.

"I suppose you're pleased with her injury then?" Amaryllis looked annoyed, "Means you can try to replace her and all that".

"Absolutely", Ridikill lied: the thought hadn't crossed his mind, so consumed with both her and Mamacala's words he had been, "Soon _I'll _be calling all the shots. And then you lions will know the true meaning of terror!"

"You can try and play the tough guy all you like, but I know you're not as bad as you like others to think", Amaryllis replied.

"Once again you dare to assume something so absurd about me! I'm the fiercest hyena this side of the Sahara!"

Amaryllis just shrugged: she wasn't about to encourage the hyena embark on another ego trip, "I'll take your word for it".

Ridikill grunted and slumped down in the dirt, subdued, disappointed that he hadn't been challenged.

They sat in silence for a while. Although neither was about to admit it, they both quietly enjoyed one another's company. But at last the silence was broken by Ridikill.

"How's your son?" he barked suddenly.

Amaryllis looked up, "My son? He's fine. His name's Amabi, by the way".

Ridikill gave no indication that he cared but he also gave no indication that he was annoyed: Amaryllis knew by now that was usually the best reaction she could expect.

"What was he doing that night, him and his little friends, all alone out there in the Pride Lands? Kinda dangerous", the hyena wondered.

Amaryllis thought back to that fateful night, "Well, actually it was because he wanted to watch me and the other lionesses hunt, but later he admitted it was also because he wanted the excitement of 'seeing a real hyena'", Amaryllis laughed gently, "He thinks they're kinda cool, or at least he did until you guys chased him up that tree".

Ridikill managed a small smile, "Hahaha, I like that kid's style".

Amaryllis bit her lip and paused, holding back, but then decided to try her luck; "He'd love to meet you".

The hyena twitched, "What?"

"Amabi. He'd think it was the coolest thing if he could meet a real hyena up close".

"He must have seen us pretty close last time", Ridikill snorted.

"Yeah but…without you trying to eat him. It'd make his day".

Ridikill didn't say anything.

"Well? What do you think?" Amaryllis pushed.

The hyena stared at her, "Wow, you're serious aren't you?"

"Darn right I am".

Ridikill's face wrinkled in disgust, "What makes you think I would want to spend any more time than I have to in your company, let alone your repulsive son's?"

"Oh come on Ridikill. Quit pretending you hate me. You must at least be… slightly fond of me, if you were waiting for me to show up at this place".

"I _was not _waiting for you to show up!" Ridikill roared, but he looked flustered.

"Suuure you weren't", she winked, "You just keep telling yourself that".

"Silence, desert cat!"

"Will you chill out? Come on, why don't you meet Amabi sometime?"

"Why do you even _want_ me to?"

"Well…" Amaryllis hesitated. She actually had many reasons. But she simply said, "I like to give my son a broad look at the world, to meet as many different people as he can. It'd be good for him to meet one of your kind, and he'd enjoy it. He needs some fun since he and all the other cubs are basically confined to Pride Rock these days".

What she didn't mention was that it would help her get to know the strange hyena better, and it would give the anti-social creature a chance to make more friends for himself. Also, if it went well, it would prove to at least some of the pride that the hyenas really weren't as bad as they thought.

"And besides", she knitted her brow, "You owe Amabi. You tried to eat him. If you consider my friendship worthwhile, and we both know you do, then you'll do me this favour and we'll call it even. How's that sound?"

Ridikill said nothing at first. Then at last he nodded slowly.

"Alright, fine. I'll meet with your stupid little son, if it'll shut you up".

Amaryllis stood up, leaned over the pond and ruffled Ridikill's mane in a patronizing fashion, "See? I knew you had a nice side".

Ridikill came back with some angry remark, but python had heard enough. It crawled away from its hiding place in the reeds and slipped away, unnoticed by the two would-be-friends, heading towards the river to meet with its Master, Mamacala.


	15. The Mind of a Maniac

Hi again all,

Thanks for taking the time to review the last chapter yet again! It's great to know you're all enjoying it and I can only apologise that these updates take so damn long. Anyway here's the next chapter at last.

You may notice a slight change in the style of the chapter title: instead of a one-worder it's actually a lyric from a Dr Dre and Ice Cube rap track called "Natural Born Killaz". If anyone knows it that's the kinda music I use to try and help me write for characters like Mamacala and Ridikill.

Forgive me if there's lots of typos I've done my best and been over it like 4 times but I'm sure I've missed some. Let me know what you think!

Here's the character list.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

The hyenas charged into the wildebeest herd, darting in amongst the large, powerful antelope, but staying well clear of their curved horns. The startled wildebeest ran back and forth in disorganised groups: there was no single clear escape route for them as the hyenas kept cutting them off and diving back into the fray, trying to find and isolate a weak individual.

It was mid-morning and Ridikill's hunting pack was out in force. The clan awaited their return, none more so than the still-weak Shenzi. Although the hunt was comprised of Ridikill's pack, it was led by Banzai, which was uncommon. Banzai, of course, had wanted to hunt so he personally could help bring home food for his friend Shenzi, although he hadn't admitted it. Everyone had assumed Ridikill would object to Banzai assuming command over him and his hunters, but he hadn't seemed interested in the matter at all.

In fact, Burudi thought to himself as he circled around the right flank of the wildebeest herd, Ridikill hadn't been acting like himself lately. He hadn't been around much, disappearing during the day for the last week or so, before they had even moved into the Pride Lands. He was talking even less than Burudi, the hyena who knew him best, was accustomed to, rarely even speaking up to belittle or threaten someone like he usually did. When Burudi had questioned him though, he had become violent.

But for the most of the time when Burudi even saw him, Ridikill just sat around on his own, looking pensive. He had even seemed reluctant to go hunting, and Burudi knew that Ridikill _lived_ for the thrill of a kill. What was wrong with him?

Burudi intended to find out.

The dust swirled into the air and the wildebeest galloped madly back and forth. Banzai nimbly dodged the wayward, half-defensive, half-accidental charge of a wildebeest cow. Suddenly he saw it: an old bull, with a slightly lame right hind leg. It was a slim advantage, but it was enough. He'd tire fast enough, if they kept on him.

Several other hyenas had seen the old bull too and bounded after him. However, he had a good lead on them and despite his injury and old age he was strong and quick, pulling away from the rest of the herd. Kapungu came up to close behind him and was rewarded with a kick to the stomach for his efforts.

But the hyenas saw it drawing to an end. Lying in wait up ahead of the wildebeest was Ridikill. The panicked herd animal hadn't spotted him, crouched behind a boulder, and it was heading straight towards him.

Ridikill was deep in thought. It had been two days since he had last seen Amaryllis. He had promised her that today he would meet her son, Amabi. Ridikill still wasn't sure exactly why she was so keen for him to meet her adopted child. But he was keen to spend more time with the lioness. To learn more about her, of course.

Amaryllis had said something that was bothering him, though. She had said, 'you consider my friendship worthwhile, and we both know you do'. At the time Ridikill hadn't said anything, but it had been growing on his mind for two days now. So she thought he wanted to be friends. That was ridiculous.

Or…was it? Was that why he wanted to spend time with her? To befriend someone after years of being an anti-social bully? Surely not…

"Ridikill! For crying out loud, get 'im!" a voice yelled.

"Huh?" Ridikill blinked and he suddenly noticed the wildebeest bearing down on him. He had neither the time nor wits to react and it leapt over the boulder he was slumped behind, not even noticing him until it smashed right into him. The hyena was knocked aside and rolled several feet away, landing in an ungainly heap. The wildebeest galloped on, unopposed.

Ridikill rolled back to his feet in one fluid motion and stood there, gasping for breath. The wind had been knocked out of him by the hefty animal. Banzai and the rest of the pack came trotting over, looking unimpressed.

"Nice going, you big moron!" Sarkil spat, "We could have had that walking meat bag if you'd got your ass in gear!"

"Yeah, nice going, Ridikill!" Groco backed her up instantly, "I thought you were supposed to be the great hunter?"

Ridikill stared at nothing. His breaths came in increasingly heavy gasps. So, this was what he was reduced to. A failure of a hunter, mocked by his own followers because he was too busy daydreaming when he should have been…

"What the hell is wrong with ya?" Banzai scowled, but as ever hyenas were quick to forgive, "Ah well, doesn't matter. We'll just…"

"No, it _does _matter!" Ridikill bellowed suddenly, startling his comrades.

Banzai said, "No, seriously dude, forget it. We'll just follow the herd from a distance, they'll stop and calm down soon enough, and we'll…"

"That wildebeest should be between my teeth right now, begging for me to end his miserable life!" Ridikill raged, seemingly oblivious to Banzai or anyone else, "I should be able to taste his blood! I should be able to taste his _fear_! He should be at my feet, _begging for_ _mercy_!"

Nobody said anything. They watched as weeks of frustration and confusion poured out of Ridikill in a tide of fury.

"How _dare_ that brainless beast escape _me_, Ridikill, one of the finest hunters in the mightiest clan in the known lands? How _dare _I let my skills slip, let my mind wander! And how _dare _that stupid lioness mess with my head like this…I…I can't…"

Without a further word he spun about and charged away, heading north east. The pack watched him go, speechless.

At last Groco spoke up, "That was a little excessive, even by his standards".

"Tell me about it", Banzai watched the retreating hyena, "What a whacko. What's wrong with that guy? What the hell was he talking about?"

"I don't know", Burudi said quietly, "But I _will_ find out".

* * *

Mamacala lay on the bank of the river, motionless. He wasn't what mammals would call 'asleep', but he was in that closed-eye state of lowered mental exertion crocodiles enjoyed while basking. However, he was completely aware of his surroundings. Five zebra were drinking from the sludgy brown river. Dozens of crocodiles lurked unseen in its depths. A small group of hippos were several hundred yards further upriver. And then suddenly…

Ridikill. The hyena came bounding down the bank towards him, obviously agitated. He skidded to a halt, spraying sand in all directions, including on Mamacala. The crocodile opened one eye and fixed the hyena with a glare from one clear green eye.

"Yes Ridikill, what is it now?"

"I missed a kill! I should have had him! I should have tasted his flesh! But I missed! I missed because my mind was wandering. What's happening to me? I should have…"

"Calm down", Mamacala shifted slightly, "Take a deep breath and shut up. Then tell me what's the matter".

Ridikill was already breathing heavily but he did as Mamacala said and exhaled deeply, trying to calm himself down. It didn't really work but he managed to slow his breathing and collect his wits a little.

The crocodile stared at him sidelong, "Now, what's wrong?"

"I…I screwed up bad, Mamacala. I should have listened to you. I've changed. Something's wrong with me. I'm not who I used to be, just a few days ago. Please help me".

"You're not making a lot of sense", Mamacala replied, "Tell me exactly what's causing you trouble and we'll start from there".

"Well…I…I don't…it's just that…I don't feel right…"

There was an almighty crash, like a thunderclap. Ridikill leapt a straight foot into the air and yelped like a newborn. He landed in a sprawled heap in the sand. The zebras by the bank took off, hooting in alarm. For a moment the dazed hyena wondered what the noise had been, but with a quick look at Mamacala's now firmly closed maw he realized that the crocodile had snapped his jaws shut. The reptile was arching his back and extending his legs as if to lift his bulk off the ground, his scales bristling angrily.

"You try my patience", he hissed, "I'm in no mood to tease information out of a star-gazing hyena. Either tell me what the problem is, or get out of my sight".

Ridikill bowed low, groveling in the dust, reminded very acutely of his place next to the crocodile, "Yes. Well, you see, the main problem is...I think I've made a friend".

"A friend? What do you mean, 'a friend'?"

"Well…do you remember last time we met I told you about that lioness? The one…"

"The one I specifically told you to avoid a rendezvous with?"

"Y...yes".

"You've met with her again".

"Yes".

"Why?"

Ridikill struggled with his answer for a second, but as Mamacala was losing patience with him he just said the first thing that came to mind to keep the crocodile from waiting, "I was curious. In all honesty the theory that she was a spy just didn't seem to add up".

"You mean _my_ theory that she's a spy?"

"Y…yeah".

There was a very pregnant pause. Ridikill waited for Mamacala to lose his temper for doubting his wisdom. It didn't happen.

"Go on then", Mamacala said quietly.

"Uh…well, I think she's genuine. I mean…well, she's asked me to meet her…family. Her son, to be precise".

"I see".

Silence. Ridikill went on, "I guess I don't know why she wants me to meet her son. I suppose she wants to be friends, but I gotta feeling she's trying to…I dunno. Get me to lighten up, I guess".

"That sounds like the very thing you would hate, just a few weeks ago".

Ridikill shrugged, "I thought I hated any kind of company. But truth be told, she seems to consider me her friend. And…I suppose I consider her to be mine".

"End this now".

"Huh?"

"You will not talk to this lioness again".

"Uh...but...you know...I kinda want to".

"_You will not talk to this lioness again_".

Ridikill recoiled from the malice in the croc's voice.

"I do not need to remind you, I assume, that you are different, Ridikill", the reptile continued, "You are more akin to me than you are to any lion or even a hyena. You are cruel, strong and unforgiving. You will not be warped by a lioness' attempts to establish an alliance with the hyena clan. I thought you were made of sterner stuff".

The hyena scrambled to his feet and snapped to attention, recognizing the veiled threats in Mamacala's words.

"You will not speak to this lioness again".

"As you command, Mamacala".

"You will seek companionship only with me".

"As you command, Mamacala".

"You will get out of my sight".

"As you command, Mamacala".

Without a further word the terrified hyena darted back up the sand bank, not looking back.

Mamacala watched him go. In fact he had known quite some time ago that Ridikill had met with the lioness – who he now knew was called Amaryllis. His python spy had reported it to him on the previous night. Mamacala had merely feigned ignorance to avoid arousing suspicion.

The brown water bulged and rippled in front of Mamacala and the long snout of Kachero the python emerged. The snake dragged himself out of the river, his long body leaving a wet, dirty trail in the sand. He pulled himself up alongside Mamacala.

"That fool", Mamacala said quietly, referring to Ridikill.

Kachero was secretly pleased to see the crocodile so angry with his protégé, but he masked it, "I gather the hyena has disappointed you, my Lord".

"On a personal level, yes. But in the grand scheme of things…I'm delighted".

Kachero started, "I…I don't understand".

"You seldom do, but try not to let it depress you", Mamacala sneered, "Try to remember the plan, Kachero. You do recall it, don't you?"

"Yes of course, my Lord".

"And can you not see how Ridikill's little friendship with this lioness can play a role, in fact a _major_ role in it?"

Kachero paused and bowed his head in thought. After a moment he looked up, "Of course! Inspired, mighty Mamacala, truly inspired!"

"On the contrary, extremely simple, but then the best laid plans often are".

"Pure genius, my Lord", a thought suddenly struck Kachero, "But…forgive me for being so bold, but have we perhaps erred? If we need Ridikill to maintain contact with this lioness, why have we just discouraged it?" He was careful to say 'we' to avoid directly criticizing Mamacala.

"I've done no such thing", Mamacala said slickly, "Yes, I've given him orders to keep away from the lioness. But will he? No. The anger I displayed towards him will, in fact, confuse and intrigue him. I rarely show such rage in front of him, and he will want to know why I have done so, what risks there are to be had in fraternizing with the enemy. And I daresay my reprimanding of him will also encourage a certain…rebellious streak".

"So you've used reverse psychology on the hyena".

"Call it what you will, he _will _meet with the lioness again, even more eager to find out more about her than before, even more eager to become…_friends_. But that will be their undoing, Kachero".

Kachero fairly wriggled with malicious glee, "Not just theirs, my Lord".

"No indeed", for the first time since Kachero had met Mamacala many years ago, the crocodile's iron-had lips pulled back and he smiled a hideous, wicked grin, "Their little companionship has doomed every last lion and hyena in the Pride Lands to death! Oh, if only they _knew_".

* * *

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed drank deeply from a waterhole. It was late afternoon. Dried blood matted their grey fur: they had gorged themselves earlier in the day. Despite their initial failure to bag any wildebeest and Ridikill's mysterious desertion, Banzai and the pack had soon managed to hunt down two stragglers and pull them down. Shenzi had eaten ravenously.

Ed looked at her. He was worried. After a worrying first twenty four hours Shenzi had recovered well. For a while Ed and Banzai had been worried that her wounds would become infected because she refused to leave her filthy aardvark burrow. She had not wanted to show weakness in front of the clan, but eventually her thirst got to her and Banzai and Ed had led her down to the waterhole.

Daily trips to the waterhole ensured that she was growing stronger and stronger, but she still looked very frail compared to her usual self. Also she had become quiet and bitter, tight and reserved. Words had to be wrung from her. The day before on their trip to the waterhole Banzai had asked her something he had been pondering.

"Hey Shenz, you know in two days we gotta meeting with Simba, right?"

"Yeah", said Shenzi.

"So…what do you think?"

"About?"

"Well…ya know. Do you think maybe you out to sit it out and let me and Ed go alone?"

"No".

"No?"

Shenzi moved her head once from left to right, then back again.

"Why not?" Banzai had asked.

"Why should I?"

"'Cos you're…well ya know. You ain't really in a fit state to go marching across the plains and get into no debate with the King of kitty cats himself".

"I'll be fine".

"You sure?"

For a moment, Banzai and Ed had thought Shenzi would refuse to answer. She walked along, head down and staring at the floor. Then she said, as if with supreme effort, "I'll be fine. You two would just screw it up without me".

Banzai and Ed had given up and left her to her silence.

Now as Ed looked at her Shenzi still looked gaunt, dreary and grim. He was worried. Personally he felt that Shenzi wasn't ready for the trip to meet Simba, and he was concerned about how indifferent she had become since the attack.

And there was a bigger worry. Banzai had confided in him about it earlier. And they both knew it had to be addressed, and now.

Even as he thought about it Banzai raised his head and looked at Shenzi and spoke slowly, quietly.

"Ya know Shenz, me and Ed been thinkin'".

Shenzi didn't reply. She kept gulping down water.

"And what we've been wondering, is that…ya think that leopard that got you, you think he could have been…well, in cahoots with Simba?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well…what if he planned it, to get rid of us? He coulda just been pretending the whole time that he was ready to listen to us and he might have been just waiting to get rid of us. He might have got the leopard to do his dirty work, ya see?"

"Haven't you forgotten something?"

"Uh, what?"

"That leopard died _cursing_ Simba for failing to stop us entering the Pride Lands! Does that sound like somebody who was working for him?"

"Uhm…" Banzai and Ed exchanged sheepish looks, "Guess not. But maybe one of the other lions…"

"Maybe", Shenzi shrugged her scarred shoulders, "But we're meeting _Simba_, not the whole pride. There won't be any danger and we'll be fine. Now shut up".

Banzai and Ed exchanged glances and returned to drinking from the waterhole.

* * *

The lionesses lay down in the cool grass, enjoying the soft late afternoon breeze. It had been unbearably hot during the day and they were thankful for the opportunity to cool down before the night's hunt. A little pond nearby provided refreshing water to drink.

The lions were well aware of the possibility of hyena harassment, but had decided over the last few days that the hyenas were so inactive that there was little real risk in leaving Pride Rock for a few hours, some even taking their cubs with them.

Now ten or more lionesses lolled around, chatting or snoozing. Amabi, Kelt and Alyssa were the only cubs present, dancing around and leaping over their slumbering seniors, although Tenzer and Ryana were present as well.

"There'll be trouble, you mark my words", one of the lionesses was saying, "That Tumai, he's riled up. Some of the males are still furious with Simba and I'll bet there willing to kick him out at the earliest possible opportunity and take his place".

"I think it's a disgrace", another replied, "It's only thanks to Simba's kindness that those males were even allowed into this pride. Who are they to undermine him? They've no right".

"Can we talk about something else, please?" Vitani grumbled; she'd heard more than enough about the dissent at Pride Rock over the past week. Over the past few days the news of the death of Mali, trusted representative of his species, had been all over the Pride Lands, and with the circumstances of his death vague and with hyena involvement the only generally accepted factor there was general outcry.

Sharhal nodded in the direction of Tenzer and Ryana, who were alone in the corner, talking quietly, "There's something. You think young Ryana's got her prize in the end?" the lioness whispered.

"I doubt it", Vitani replied, "I think Tenzer feels more guilty about what happened to Ryana than anything. Kinda feels obliged to keep her happy. Maybe he's got a soft spot, deep down inside. Speaking of softies, hey, Amabi, where's your mother?" she said good-naturedly.

Amabi looked up from his play-fight with Kelt, "Oh, she said she'd be along in a minute. She said she was bringing a new friend along".

"A new friend?" Vitani raised one eyebrow.

"Yeah. She was a bit weird about it. Said not to be frightened of him. What ya think she meant by that?"

Vitani's eyes widened, "Oh…she wouldn't bring…" then she relaxed, "No of course she wouldn't. That's just crazy".

Amabi was puzzled, "What do you mean, Aunty Vitani?"

"Never mind, kid. Just thinking out loud. Even your mom's not that crazy".

* * *

"Well, you coming?" Amaryllis said pleasantly.

Ridikill stared sourly back at her, "Do I have a choice?"

"Nope. Let's get moving".

They were at their usual waterhole rendezvous. They set out south at a steady pace, in silence for a while. Amaryllis could tell Ridikill was apprehensive. He'd be even more uneasy when he found out that she was in fact taking him not just to meet her adopted son, but most of her close friends.

Amaryllis was concerned too. She didn't know how either Ridikill or her friends would react. There was a risk it'd escalate to open hostility. The lionesses wouldn't be pleased to see a surly hyena brought into their midst, and whilst Ridikill might perhaps be too daunted to attack on sight, his hot-headedness could easily lead him to get violent at the slightest provocation.

It was a big risk, but Amaryllis felt it was worth taking. She was confident she could keep both her friends and even Ridikill calm. Ridikill listened to her for whatever reason. Because he needed a friend, she suspected.

Well, there was a chance Ridikill could make more friends if only he gave today a chance. And what's more, if only he could control his temper and loosen up a little like he was doing around her lately, it would demonstrate to her pride that hyenas really weren't as bad as they liked to think.

Who could say, perhaps it would be the beginnings of a kinship between lion and hyena.

That was two good reasons for pulling this little stunt, not including what she had told Ridikill about Amabi being fascinated by hyenas, which was the truth. Despite the dreadful side of hyenas he had experienced first-hand one night, he was keen to learn more about them these days, since everybody was talking about them all the time. What better way than to meet one face to face without actually being on the menu.

And there was one last, purely selfish reason for doing this, she admitted. She considered Ridikill a friend, a strange one admittedly, but a friend anyway. She thought that perhaps bringing him to meet her family and friends would strengthen that friendship.

Ridikill was lost in his own thoughts as well. He remembered well what Mamacala had told him earlier that day. That he was to avoid contact with the lioness or…or else _what_? The crocodile had certainly seemed angry with him, but hadn't elaborated on why he insisted the lioness be avoided at all costs except for a vague reference to her being a spy.

And why would Mamacala care so much about her being a spy? Amaryllis, and indeed the lions in general, were no threat to him. So once again Ridikill was defying Mamacala's orders and had met with Amaryllis like she had asked him to.

"So, how have you been?" Amaryllis asked suddenly.

Ridikill suddenly felt tempted to mention that he'd actually had a terrible day, first missing a kill in front of his pack and humiliating himself (which was _her_ fault, in his opinion, for distracting him) and secondly his mentor had terrified and threatened him. But instead he simply said:

"Good. You?"

"Yeah, not bad. Everything's a bit more peaceful at Pride Rock now that everyone's calmed down, but there's still rumours of rebellion going around".

"Oh yeah?" Ridikill answered, not really interested. He was surprised to find himself feigning interest so as not to offend somebody.

"Mmm-hmm. But personally I don't think it'll come to anything. I'm hoping it'll all calm down soon".

"That's good".

"So long as you guys keep up the good behaviour".

Ridikill grinned wickedly, "Oh, I wouldn't count on that".

Amaryllis snorted in a good-humoured way, "Oh no? Well you've been pretty tame yourself lately. What kinda harm could your pals possibly inflict if they're all as sweet as you?"

Ridikill scowled, "I _am not_ sweet, lioness! I am the mighty Ridikill, scourge of the…"

Amaryllis faked a yawn.

"How dare you?!" the hyena roared, but it was in jest as well.

They continued on their way, bickering and teasing each other all the way. After a while Amaryllis stopped and looked ahead.

"We're nearly there", she said, "You're still gonna go ahead with this, right?"

"What, you mean meeting your son? Sure, if it'll shut you up".

"Yeah…" Amaryllis wondered how the hyena would react when he realized he was meeting more than just Amabi, "Thanks. I appreciate it. Just…don't back out, okay?"

Ridikill gave her a baffled look, "Sure. I mean, he's just a kid. It's not like he's gonna attack me, right?"

* * *

"What the hell is she _doing_?" Vitani nearly screeched.

The lionesses were peering at Amaryllis and her companion as they headed slowly towards them. They were still far away enough so as to be indistinct but they could make out her 'friend' clearly enough – a hyena.

Everybody stared in their direction. Amabi was speechless. So this was his mom's friend? A hyena? He had nearly been eaten by hyenas not long ago. But she must have her reasons…surely.

"My God, Amaryllis has lost her mind", one of the lionesses got to her feet quickly.

"Get ready to drive that thing away", another said, growling as she spoke, "We can't let that thing get near the cubs".

Kelt was shaking in terror, remembering well his experience in the jaws of just such a creature. Alyssa pressed herself up against him, and their mother Nadhari stood over them protectively.

Amaryllis and the hyena drew nearer. The growls from the lionesses grew louder.

"Wait!" Amabi yelled at the top of his voice, "This is my Mom we're talking about here! Let's give her a chance!"

Several of the lionesses looked at him and the growls subsided a little. They looked up ahead again. Amaryllis and the hyena had stopped in their tracks.

* * *

"What the _hell_?!" Ridikill stared at the multitude of lionesses several hundred meters away.

"Please, calm down", Amaryllis said quietly. Ridikill hadn't noticed the lionesses for quite some time after they'd come into Amaryllis' vision; the hyena's eyesight was poorer than her own so he had walked on without any hint of protest for a while, unable to distinguish and detect their scent due to the lioness scent coming from Amaryllis. Once he had spotted them however he had stopped dead.

"_Calm down_?! How can I calm down? I'm going to get ripped to pieces!"

"You won't! I swear!"

"You…you _knew _they were going to be here, didn't you? You set this up on purpose, didn't you?" Ridikill snarled accusingly.

Amaryllis exhaled softly, "Yes, I did".

For a second Ridikill considered if Mamacala had been right all along. The lioness was an enemy who was simply trying to trick him. But no. That didn't make sense. If she'd wanted to kill him she'd had plenty of opportunities already. Then why…?

"I see what you're doing", Ridikill growled, "You're trying to get us all to be pals, eh? Everyone's all lovely and cosy and friendly, right?"

Amaryllis considered explaining her reasons in detail, but just said, "Yeah, basically".

Ridikill stared, "Well, _screw_ this", he started to turn around but Amaryllis grabbed him quickly on the shoulder with one paw.

"No don't go", she insisted, "You promised me you wouldn't back out, remember?"

"I didn't know I was going to my own funeral…"

"And besides, we'll look silly if you walk off now".

"You think I care about looking silly?"

"Or you'll look like a coward".

Ridikill levelled her with a particularly savage glare, "You really are very good at manipulating me, aren't you?" then without another word he headed towards the lionesses. Amaryllis walked alongside him.

As they neared the group their pace slowed a little. Amaryllis could see a nervous quiver run through Ridikill. Although he might claim to have little fear his natural instincts must have been screaming at him to turn around and bolt. It was a credit to him that not only did he stand firm, but that his glower did not flinch.

When they were within twenty yards of the group Amaryllis stopped and Ridikill alongside her. The lions were lined up opposite them, all staring with mixed expressions: fear, confusion, rage, curiosity. Amaryllis could see them all very clearly: her precious Amabi, Vitani, Nadhari, little Kelt and Alyssa, Tenzer and Ryana… This wasn't going to be easy.

She cleared her throat, "Everyone, this is my friend, Ridikill".

Nobody replied. Ridikill didn't budge or make a sound.

Amaryllis realized she should have thought about what she was going to say beforehand. The silence was very awkward. It made her wish the ground would swallow her up. What could she possibly say? '_This is my friend, Ridikill, yeah he's a hyena, but he's okay, he won't hurt you…unless you tick him off even slightly. 'Cos then he'll go ballistic on you_'.

She was saved when Vitani said, "Hi Amy. Hello Ridikill".

Amaryllis was surprised. She hadn't expected Vitani, of all people, to be the first to extend the tentative paw to shake.

Ridikill managed to grunt in acknowledgement. His deep, rasping tone visibly took the lionesses by surprise; most of them associated hyenas with high-pitched, cackling voices.

One after the other the lionesses muttered their greetings. Ridikill didn't look up at them. Amabi walked towards his mother.

"Hi Mom", he said quietly, rubbing up against her foreleg, "Hi Ridikill".

Realizing that this was her child Amabi, Ridikill made a little more effort and looked at the cub and muttered, "Hi".

When Ridikill looked at Amabi Amaryllis noticed something. There was a strange glint in his eye for a brief moment, a queer look that resembled recognition. Amaryllis' heart skipped a beat. She had realized that, as both Ridikill and Amabi were present that night the hyena pack had terrorized the cubs, they would have met before, but she had assumed that they wouldn't recognize or remember each other from that dark, frenzied night several weeks ago. But what if Ridikill did remember Amabi specifically for some reason? What would he do?

But then Ridikill lowered his head again and the glimmer in his eye disappeared. Amaryllis sighed mentally with relief.

After an uneasy moment the lionesses resumed lying around and talking to each other. Amaryllis sat down at the edge of the group, and motioned for Ridikill to follow her.

"Come on, sit down", she said.

Like a sulking cub Ridikill sauntered over and sat on his haunches, carefully positioning himself so that he was at the very edge of the group and Amaryllis was between him and the other lionesses. He stared at nothing in particular, frowning.

The lionesses chatted, but Amaryllis noticed they were quieter than usual and avoided talking about anything involving Pride Rock and the political machinations of the pride. That was understandable.

She wondered why they were willing to let the hyena so close to them without a word of actual protest, despite their obvious misgivings. Amaryllis suspected Vitani, the most senior lioness present, had quickly persuaded them to not object, trusting her friend even though her own reservations about associating with hyenas were probably stronger than anyone else's. Amaryllis owed her one for that.

Amabi sat down and nuzzled up against his mother, but he didn't take his eyes off the hyena. Amaryllis could see the fear and excitement on his young face.

"So, what have you been up to today you little brat?" Amaryllis said teasingly, prodding him with her paw. She was eager to establish a sense of normality.

"We played catch with Timon and Pumbaa. We won", Amabi replied, then suddenly said to Ridikill in an apparent attempt to start a conversation with him, "Do you play catch?"

Ridikill looked up with an expression that resembled the anticipatory leer of a psychopath looming over a victim, lips drawn back, eyes narrowed and tongue protruding slightly, "Only with edible playmates", he replied, drool dripping from his maw.

Amabi crouched down, shaking. Amaryllis embraced him immediately, then threw Ridikill a look. That hadn't gone well.

The hyena shrugged and grinned.

Vitani approached suddenly, getting glances from all the other lionesses as she did so. She sat down next to Amaryllis casually, as if nothing were different from usual. Amaryllis appreciated the effort she was putting into this.

"So, where you from, Ridikill?" Vitani asked offhandedly, looking at him with her clear blue eyes.

"Well", Ridikill paused and licked his gums, trying to think of a reply. Although all the other lionesses were apparently busy talking amongst themselves he could see they were all watching him out of the corners of their eyes and listening intently, if discreetly, so he decided, for safety's sake, to respond as carefully as possible.

"I'm from the Elephant Graveyard Clan. I joined them about five years ago when I was a cub".

"Where were you from before that?" Vitani said. Amaryllis realized she'd never really inquired about Ridikill's past before.

"Dunno. Nowhere. Some wasteland. I got told about this place so I followed their advice and headed here".

"Who told you, your parents?"

"No. Never had no parents. I was told by…someone else".

He seemed keen to avoid mentioning who exactly had told him where to go, judging by the look in his eyes.

Amabi pulled away from his mother and went to join Kelt and Alyssa, who were busy trying to muster the enthusiasm to play a game.

"So, you important in your clan?" Vitani went on. Amaryllis was amazed by how her friend went on, pressing conversation with the sullen hyena in an attempt to ease the tension.

"Yeah", Ridikill seemed to have loosened up a little now, becoming more loquacious when he had accepted he was in no immediate danger, "Chief of the clan's best hunting pack. Well…we're only the best if the bosses want big prey. Little flighty stuff like gazelle…not so good. Big stuff like wildebeest, we're the best. We make a goddamn mess though".

He laughed. Laughter usually lightened conversations up, encouraged banter. Unfortunately Ridikill was unlike most of his species: he didn't have a high-pitched, comical laugh but a low, menacing chuckle as if he was savouring some dark and sinister thought. Amaryllis could see several of the lionesses positively shudder with revulsion.

But as he laughed something snapped. Amabi froze with horror, staring wide-eyed at Ridikill, his fur standing on end.

"I remember you! You, you were the leader of the hyenas! The ones who chased us up the tree that night! It was you! It was you! You tried to eat Kelt! You said you were gonna kill us!"

Ridikill went from looking shocked to furious in one second, "So I did! And it's _you_! I remember you! What was it you said? Oh, that's right! You said that I needed a bath, didn't ya? Said I smelt, didn't ya? And I promised I was gonna get my own back! Well, here we are!"

He bounded forward before anybody could react. In an instant he was looming over the terrified cubs, saliva flowing freely from his bone-crushing fangs, "It's payback time!"

* * *

To understand what Ridikill and Amabi are referring to here please see Chapter 3: Chase.


	16. Master

Hi again. Rather annoyingly this disappointingly short chapter took a lot longer to write than I expected and I'm not very happy with it, but there we go. I hope you all enjoy it at least. Thank you all for the reviews, keep 'em coming in so long as you have the energy or are sufficiently entertained to do so.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

Ridikill towered over the crouching Amabi, teeth bared and slobbering. His eyes blazed with rage and a grating growl rattled from his lungs. The petrified Amabi cowered before him, quivering and eyes wide with terror.

The stunned lionesses were on their feet in a split second, snarling angrily, but then, as one, they stopped. The hyena was poised so close to the cub that he could have snapped him up and crushed him in his jaws without any of the lionesses having time to reach them.

Amaryllis stared dumbly. Her mind was almost overwhelmed with horror and confusion. She felt sick. How had things gone so wrong in such a brief moment? Amabi…she couldn't lose Amabi. Ridikill would _not _get him…but why would he…?

Then in a swift movement Ridikill bent down and scooped Amabi up in his jaws. Amaryllis bounded forward, claws and teeth bared, but she couldn't cover the ground quick enough. With a quick twist of his neck, Ridikill hurled the little lion cub away.

With a sharp splash Amabi hit the surface of the pond. Amaryllis skidded to a halt and the lionesses stared. After a moment Amabi rose to the surface, gasping and floundering around in a panicked state. He looked up to see if Ridikill was bearing down on him to seize him in his horrid fangs again.

Ridikill, however, was in peals of laughter, rolling around on the floor and guffawing like Amaryllis had never seen him do before. He cackled long and loud before sitting up and looking at Amabi.

"Hahahaha, how'd ya enjoy_ your_ bath kiddo? Hahahah, I said I'd pay you back for that, didn't I? I got ya good! Ahahahaha!"

The lionesses watched, utterly confused. Then after a moment Amabi giggled, amused by the whole affair and apparently no longer intimidated by the hyena. Vitani began to chuckle, and soon enough a few of the lionesses were laughing quietly. It was a nervous laugh to relieve tension, but there was amusument in it as well, now that they could see the hyena had a sense of humour, albeit a rather twisted one.

Amaryllis gasped with relief. So it had been a joke. For one horrific moment she had thought she was about to lose her son in the cruellest possible way.

Amabi picked himself up out of the water and shook himself off. He approached Ridikill, sniggering.

"So, I guess we're even huh?"

Ridikill didn't answer. In fact he _had_ genuinely lost control when he had recognized Amabi. His rage and instincts had guided him and he had every intention of snapping the little cub's neck until he remembered where he was and whose child he had between his jaws.

When the little cub had squirmed futilely between his teeth he had suddenly been hit by a wave of repulsion. Was he really prepared to slaughter an innocent youngster in cold blood, the son of his only real friend, just for the sake of petty revenge? A few weeks ago the answer would have been 'yes' without hesitation, but now Ridikill felt awful for even considering it. So he had resorted to a cheap joke to get out of the situation as best he could.

Now it was best he extend a friendly paw towards the kid, for fear of alienating Amaryllis and perhaps arousing the suspicions of the lionesses.

"Yeah, we're even now, kid, just you watch your back. And by the way, sorry about our…previous encounter. Nothing personal. A misunderstanding", he managed to force a friendly grin.

The general chatter amongst the lionesses slowly resumed. Amaryllis looked sidelong at Ridikill and gave him a playful nudge with her paw, "You moron, you know I actually thought you were serious then".

"Heh, give me some credit Amy", the hyena said between his teeth.

"So how do you know my Mom?" Amabi interrupted, encouraged to see the hyena refer to his mother by her nickname. His fear was gone and he was becomingly increasingly curious about the hyena; like most scary things, they were interesting to a youngster.

"It's a long story", Amaryllis began.

"Then let's save it", Ridikill snorted.

"Oh no, let's hear it", Vitani said smoothly, "I assume he _is_ the hyena who you said you'd met before, and the one who made such a commotion during the negotiations?"

Amaryllis nodded. Ridikill scowled, displeased that Amaryllis had told someone about their previous meetings.

Vitani cocked her head, "I thought you said he was 'a real psycho'".

"I am", Ridikill smirked proudly, then saw the reprimanding look from Amaryllis, "I mean…I…lose…my temper with undesirable frequency".

Vitani leered, "Not too unlike me then. That's good".

Ridikill looked at her, "Excuse me?"

She made a mockingly innocent face, "Oh nothing. Just couldn't help but notice you're kinda cute…for a hyena".

Amaryllis burst into hysterics. Ridikill's mouth hung open and he stared at Vitani dumbly.

"Hey, Auntie Vitani, don't tease Uncle Ridi", Amabi said.

Ridikill, still with the same slack-jawed expression, turned slowly to look at Amabi, "…'Uncle Ridi'?"

Amabi beamed happily, "Oh, I call all my Mom's friends Uncle or Auntie. So you're Uncle Ridi".

Ridikill looked at the weak-with-laughter Amaryllis, "I hope you're aware this is the single most unpleasant day of my life".

* * *

Simba sat alone on the pinnacle of Pride Rock, looking out over the savannah. The herds were thick on the plains before him and he watched them wander back and forth idly.

He was troubled. Rumour of rebellion was spreading through the pride and refusing to die. No doubt one or two of the males were quietly bragging about their plans to overthrow him, but wouldn't yet admit it openly in front of any of the royal family. It was probably Tumai and Maradi or some such.

The males in the pride weren't especially treacherous or pugnacious by their nature, but circumstance had driven them to talk of mutiny. To be driven from your pride by males you had invited in yourself was an insult Simba had never heard of before.

But then again, very little had actually happened since the hyenas had been granted access to the Pride Lands. They'd been quiet, avoiding contact with the lions. For that Simba was grateful. For all intents and purposes his belief that lion and hyena could coexist that most of the pride had doubted was being proved right. So far.

There had been that unfortunate incident with Mali. The details weren't known yet; all Zazu had been able to gather was that the leopard had attacked the hyena clan and had been killed for his efforts. To Simba Mali had always seemed a polite, gentle and wise adviser with only hints of being somewhat over-zealous.

Who ever would have known he was so apparently extreme and fanatical. Simba had been saddened by news of his death, but was also worried it would stir up greater antipathy against the hyenas and his decision to embrace them as subjects.

But still all was quiet. It had the distinct air of the calm before the storm.

"Hey King Kitty Cat, what's eating ya?"

Simba looked over his shoulder and saw Timon approaching, followed by Pumbaa and Kovu. He smiled. He revelled in the company of Timon and Pumbaa. It reminded him of who he was – not King of the Pride Lands, but plain old Simba.

"Hey guys", he said, "Nothing, I'm just thinking. What's up?"

"Not much, everything's pretty much dead", Pumbaa grunted.

"Or at least the hyenas wish it were", Timon jibed.

Simba groaned, "Oh please, I don't want to hear anything more about the hyenas".

"Then don't go hang with the rest of the pride", Kovu said, "That's pretty much all they've talked about for weeks".

Simba shrugged, "Well, they're not the ones who have to go and talk with the hyena leaders the day after tomorrow. And I'm going to have to make some kind of decision".

"What decision?" Pumbaa asked.

"Whether or not to let the hyenas into the Pride Lands on a more permanent basis".

"What?! You gotta be kidding? You ain't still considering that, are ya Simba?" Timon yelled.

"You have to admit that apart from that incident with Mali, which he seems to have provoked, they've been model Pride Landers".

"Well, sure, apart from being stupid, droolin', meat-stealin', cub-snatchin'…"

"To be fair they haven't done anything really worthy of note", Kovu said.

"I did say I didn't want to talk about this", Simba replied, and the others could see his eyes were bloodshot with stress or lack of sleep.

"What's wrong big guy?" Timon asked.

"I don't know", Simba confessed, "It's not the hyenas, but it may have something to do with them. It's just…I can't explain it. Ever since Rafiki left I've been feeling uneasy. There's a threat building, and I can't quite place it".

Silence. Timon leaned over towards Pumbaa and whispered in his ear, "The stress must _really_ be getting to him".

Simba suddenly shook himself and looked at them, and for a moment they caught a glimpse his former youthful exuberance, "Let's just forget about it. Who's up for some bugs?"

* * *

The lionesses were all sitting in a circle, engaged in one big conversation. Ridikill sat awkwardly between Amaryllis and Vitani. By now he had figured out what was bugging him so much.

He didn't just feel out of place because everybody else present were lions – it was because he was the only adult male. Sure, there were cubs like Amabi and that quiet half-grown Amaryllis had told him was called Tenzer, but he was the only real island of brooding, sullen masculinity in an overwhelming sea of _very _chatty femininity.

Needless to say this discomfited him whenever the subject of discussion turned to how attractive various males were, mating, giving birth or any other shocking little snippets of information about female anatomy he had not been aware of before, and would have been happier had he never known. Amaryllis noticed he had looked particularly mortified at Sharhal's in-depth description of her menstrual cycle.

All in all, so far it had made Ridikill feel very self conscious. The little cubs prancing around and barging into his legs every so often didn't help matters, nor did Amabi insisting on calling him 'Uncle Ridi'.

But secretly he was somewhat enjoying himself as well. There was a strange sensation to being surrounded by so many fellow creatures who bore him no ill will. Creatures who seemed increasingly interested in what he had to say and more and more willing to let him into their conversation. It was akin to the feeling he had when he settled down for sleep in his cave back in the Elephant Graveyard, and it unlocked even deeper memories. Very vague images of a huge female hyena…no, not huge. He had been small; she had simply seemed huge at the time. He had been a child. The female was his mother.

Comfort. That was the feeling. Something he had rarely felt in his years of leading a small band of rag-tag hunters, either independent from the clan in the desolate times after Scar's death or under Shenzi's rule. The moments of comfort had been rare and he hadn't been able to identify them at the time, being such a snarling, god-cursing brute. All that seemed rather far away now.

But he still had his warrior pride. He insisted on being aloof with the lionesses, speaking only now and then with concise, barely grunted answers. But it was still more civility then he was used to dishing out to his own clan members.

Most of the lionesses were surprised by how quiet and reserved the hyena was. They were used to hyenas cackling and jeering, very 'in your face' characters. This one however, while a little creepy, was pretty well-behaved. Tolerable, even.

Inevitably however evening began to draw in and the lionesses began to head for home, in pairs or little groups. When Amabi began yawning Amaryllis decided it was time to call it a day.

"Well, I guess we'd better go home for now. We'll have to leave again to go hunting in a few hours anyway", she said, picking herself up.

Ridikill stood up, "Well, I've had more than my fair share of mindless blather today. I'm outta here".

"Oh lighten up", Amaryllis grinned slyly, "You know you enjoyed it _really_".

"I know nothing of the sort", Ridikill retorted, and took a few steps in the direction of the hyena abode.

"Wait", Amaryllis said and went after him, lowering her voice so nobody except the nearby Vitani could hear them converse, "We should trade places, y'know. I should come to your place and meet your friends in the hyena clan".

"Got no friends there", Ridikill said bluntly.

"Oh. I'm sorry".

"Don't be. I never saw the need for friends".

"But do you now?"

Ridikill didn't answer. He walked away.

"Hey, meet again tomorrow, same time, same place?" Amaryllis called.

Ridikill nodded.

Vitani came up behind Amaryllis, "Interesting 'friend' of yours, Amy".

"Yeah", Amaryllis watched the hyena go, "Thanks Vitani. For giving him the benefit of the doubt. You saved my butt back there".

Vitani raised an eyebrow, "No sweat. But next time you want to bring a friend along for us all to meet, why not just go ahead and bring a cobra or a crocodile or something?"

* * *

When Ridikill was out of the sight of the lionesses he immediately felt edgy. There was something very definitely wrong. He was being watched.

Almost immediately a dry log in front of him seemed to erupt and shoot into the air. It towered above him, peaking at seven feet, before beginning to descend again to be level with his face. The startled Ridikill suddenly realized it was actually a huge snake, a python of some description. It must have been over fifteen feet long, and suddenly Ridikill recognized at the same animal he had seen once before when he had met with Mamacala at the river.

Ridikill crouched and bared his teeth. Mammals were generally uncertain as to how to handle reptiles – where exactly did you attack a creature that wore horny scales for skin? But suddenly the python spoke.

"Greetings, Ridikill. Don't be alarmed".

The hyena regained his composure and stood up straight, but still eyed the python cautiously, "Don't flatter yourself. How'd you know my name, belly-crawler?"

"I have watched you for a long time. I am Kachero the rock python".

"Watched me? You mean spied?"

"Yes".

"You pathetic little…" Ridikill opened his jaws and took a step forward.

"I was under orders", the python explained, completely undaunted by the aggressive hyena.

"From who?"

"You should know. He has sent me here to summon you to his presence. You are needed. The Master calls".

Ridikill looked at the python incredulously, "You crazy old fool. Normally I'd tear your flesh from your bones just for wasting my time with quasi-religious trash, let alone spying on me. But I've been in a good mood lately so I'll let you keep your miserable skin", he started to walk on by.

Resentment for the hyena was growing on Kachero's mind with each word spoken. After all this time of knowing Ridikill and yet not actually ever talking to him, to finally speak to the obnoxious, arrogant upstart was a revolting experience, but he had his orders.

"I thank you for the consideration but I'll be shedding this skin soon anyway", Kachero drawled; Ridikill did not stop to hear him, "But this good mood of yours. I suppose it can be attributed to Amaryllis?"

Ridikill stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ahhh yes", the python went on, "And little Amabi…Such a disarming little fellow, wouldn't you say?"

Ridikill wheeled about, salivating profusely and lips curled back, eyes filled with rage, "Take that back, lizard! You…how dare you…"

Kachero's body waved to and fro gently in the evening breeze, "Losing your temper over a sweet little lion cub? That's hardly what Mamacala taught you".

Ridikill started like he'd been stung on the nose by a hornet, "Mamacala…"

"Yes. As I said, the Master calls! The Master will not be denied!"

Quieter now, almost in awe, Ridikill gasped, "How…how do you know…."

"Mamacala and I are old acquaintances", Kachero said without a hint of emotion: secretly however he was enjoying rattling the hyena.

"But what…what would Mamacala want with you?" Ridikill gaped, still trying to understand what he was hearing.

"I find myself asking the same of you", Kachero hissed, "But all will be revealed tomorrow. You will meet the great and glorious Mamacala, Lord of the Rivers, at the termite mounds to the west of Grant Gazelle Thicket. Do you know of this place?"

Ridikill nodded dumbly.

"Good. Then at sunset tomorrow. He will be waiting. Don't test his patience. He has waited long enough for this fateful day as it is", with that the python settled back down on its belly and glided away.

* * *

The eland cow took its last few dying gasps. The lioness did not loosen her grip around its throat until a few minutes after the antelope had shown the last signs of life. The other lionesses waited patiently, some helping to hold the hefty antelope down.

At last they broke off from the dead herbivore. It was midnight on the savannah, and the lions were out in force. No fewer than twelve lionesses had gone on this hunting trip to provide for the pride, including Nala and Kiara. They were also accompanied, surprisingly, by Simba and Kovu, who had insisted on escorting such a large hunting party in case they attracted the attention of hyenas.

They were on the banks of the river, to the east of the Pride Rock. A steep slope rose up above them on their right. The lionesses had ambushed the eland as it drank from the rapidly shrinking river. As Nala looked at the now-slow flowing river, she contemplated on just how severe a dry season this was going to be. The herds were wary, the grass was drying, and the river was shrinking. Even the night air was stifling and warm.

The lions started at an ominous cry.

"Oooooo-whup!"

Kovu looked up and cursed, "Hyenas".

Kiara said, "How far off was that?"

"Not far", Nala replied, "Come on, we'd better get this back to Pride Rock. We don't know how many there are".

"You sure about that?" Simba said, "We should be able to handle the hyenas, and the pride's going hungry at the moment. Maybe we should take something else down first and head back then".

Nala shook her head, "No. We can't drag _two_ carcasses home with hyenas trailing us, Simba, especially not after we're tired out from two hunts. We need to get back now and call it a night".

Simba said nothing, then nodded slowly, "Yeah, you're right", then he smiled, "As usual".

Nala's hard features softened for a moment and the cold, logical glint in her eye that was unmistakably predatory vanished.

"Oh please", Vitani muttered, mouth wrapped around an eland shank, "Let's get moving, before…"

"Oooooo-whup!"

The call was much closer now.

"Everyone, take hold and let's go!" Nala barked, huntress once more.

"Oooooo-whup!" a series of cackles and nervous giggling was now audible at the end of the howl.

The lionesses began to drag the eland back up the steep slope, Simba and Kovu helping, when a sinister silhouette rose up against the moonlight above them. Almost immediately it ducked back behind the bank again, shrieking in alarm.

"Oh, _that's_ how close they are", Kiara mumbled as best she could with her mouthful.

"No time to worry about it, keep moving", Nala said tersely.

The hyena returned, shortly joined by three more. They mulled about on the ridge for a moment, then disappeared again, clearly frightened at the sight of so many big, powerful lions.

Suddenly many hyenas, vague and shadow-like in the night, charged down the hill towards the struggling lions, hooting and sniggering. In surprise the lions lost their grip on the eland and it slipped, rolling down the embankment to land on the water's edge.

Several hyenas instantly bolted for the carcass. Kovu darted down towards it, skidding and kicking up shingle as he did. The hyenas scattered immediately.

It was difficult to tell how many hyenas there were, as they dashed back and forth in the blackness, lowing aggressively, but Simba estimated they were at least three dozen. They began baiting the lions, rushing in and snapping at them when their backs were turned, then leaping out of the way with a panicked shrieking laugh when the lion turned to strike back at them. Then when the lion's attention was diverted by that hyena another would rush in and repeat the attack.

There were no harsh words thrown back and forth here. It was pure, animalistic war. The lions clouted the hyenas whenever they could, and occasionally one would become entangled in the cat's claws and, unable to escape, was drawn into a quick scuffle with the lion. However there was little bloodshed overall, mostly tentative strikes, the hyenas clearly trying to wear the lions down by antagonising them.

"Oh this is ridiculous!" Vitani snarled, breaking the spoken silence, "How many of them _are_ there?! So much for hyenas being cute!"

At that one hyena, hidden in the dark, stopped dead and stared at her.

Simba, lashing out at one impudent attacker, wondering in the back of his mind what Vitani meant. What reason would Vitani have for thinking _that_?

"Everyone get back to the eland!" Kiara called out, "Fight them off from there!"

The lions began backing up in the direction of the eland, which lay just shy of the shallows of the river. Soon they had formed a rough semi-circle around it, with their backs to the water. The hyenas followed, and scraps broke out, spraying water high in the air. Lion and hyena alike slipped and tumbled on the wet gravel and in the shallow water.

"Ahhh,_ mine_, I think", a deep, scratchy voice said.

The voice commanded attention. The combatants all turned to see a giant crocodile waddling in the shallows, heading towards the eland. It was the biggest crocodile any of them had ever seen, brutally scarred, an armoured colossus.

The ridged backs of several other smaller, but still huge, crocodiles rose above the waterline, and then they began to heave themselves out of the shallows, scales glistening wet and shining in the moonlight.

Immediately the lions and hyenas scrambled back up the bank: both the lions and hyenas outnumbered the crocodiles but fighting such raw reptilian power on the crocodile's home turf was out of the question.

"Aww man! I told ya it was a bad idea to go hunting tonight, Shenz!" one hyenic voice barked.

"Shut up, warthog features. I wanted to get out that damn burrow and hunt!"

"But we didn't even hunt, we just…."

"I said shut up, moron!"

The hyenas, unwilling to fight either the crocodiles or the sore lions in an open fight, vanished back up the embankment, yipping and cursing.

Only Simba stood calmly by the eland body, staring down the lead crocodile defiantly.

"Mamacala. Good to see you", he said.

"Likewise, Your Majesty", Mamacala inclined his disfigured head, "We meet, unfortunately, under less than agreeable circumstances".

"Yes", Simba looked at the crocodiles looming up behind their Royal Representative. He had only met Mamacala on a few occasions, mostly at Councils, and the crocodile had always seemed polite, well-spoken and decent enough. A little ruthless, perhaps, and idle, as he tended to avoid Councils if he could, but basically a decent Pride Lander.

But then again, survival came before Royal etiquette for all species. Filling one's stomach was what came first in the dry season, and Simba didn't begrudge the crocodiles for robbing his pride of their meal.

Not really. But it did leave a slightly bitter taste in the mouth.

"You'll forgive me, I hope, being so bold as to acquire meat from His Majesty by such vile means, but age and season have caught up with me and an old croc can't afford to let opportunities slip by", Mamacala rasped.

"But of course", Simba gave a wry smile, "As they say 'you win this round'".

"So it seems", as Mamacala spoke two crocodiles seized the eland in their vice-like jaws and yanked its carcass into the water. The river roared and frothed with spiny bodies surging forward to get a share of the fresh meat.

"Oh dear", Mamacala sighed, "Forgive my brothers. Fish stocks run low and tempers fray in this weather, even in your bountiful lands my liege".

"Fine words, Mamacala", Simba was mildly amused - Mamacala always spoke with different levels of sincerity, it seemed to him. The grovelling compliments were obviously somewhat artificial; but to what extent did the crocodile respect him as a King? Simba suspected he would never know.

"If you'll excuse me, my Lord, I feel the need for protein", Mamacala picked himself up and shuffled back towards the shallows, "I must build up my strength, after all".

"Oh, what for?" Simba asked, not expecting an answer.

The crocodile turned his head slightly to look back at the lion, "Oh, patience Simba, that'll all be revealed in time".

Before Simba could ask what that meant Mamacala had plunged into the water. The King watched as the huge crocodile slammed violently past his smaller kin and clamped his jaws onto the ravaged carcass. He tore at it with frightening fury that completely contrasted the smooth way he had addressed Simba.


	17. Revelation

Hello all, apologies for the wait. Thanks again for the encouraging reviews. Well, we come to it at last. You'll see what I mean when you read this chapter. It's very long so I hope you have the patience for it :P Enjoy, and please review!

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

Ridikill waited by the now overly-familiar pond. He was still nursing a few choice blows from the encounter with the lions the night before. That had been an interesting little scrap. Ridikill wouldn't have gone out of choice, but Shenzi, Banzai and Ed had insisted. He had been afraid of running into Amaryllis there, which would have been awkward. Not to mention he didn't really have it in him to fight lionesses anymore, not after his time spent with them the day before.

Thankfully Amaryllis hadn't been there, as far as he could tell, but he was pretty sure Vitani had been. Ridikill had taken care to avoid actually biting at any of the lionesses, only rushing towards them, but unfortunately the cats hadn't been as gentle to him.

So he sat there, licking a few scratches on his hide. They'd hadn't gone hungry in the end, as the pack had pulled down a wildebeest on the way home, but losing their prize to the crocodiles had been pretty tough to bear. Ridikill had seen Mamacala approaching Simba, but he hadn't made himself known to the crocodile. Best not to when he was about to feed.

Ridikill was worried. The unexpected encounter with the python Kachero had unnerved him. Why did Mamacala want to speak to him? Mamacala never sought him out – it was always the other way around. And why did he want to meet in such a remote location, so far from the river?

And what was up with that python? How did he know Mamacala? Ridikill was pretty certain Mamacala spoke to few other creatures besides himself. Why did the python call Mamacala "the Master"? And why had the python been 'watching him'? Was he spying on him for Mamacala's benefit? Why would Mamacala want him watched? The crocodile never showed any interest in his personal life.

The most likely explanation Ridikill could decide upon was that Mamacala was checking up on him to see if he was following his orders to avoid Amaryllis. Kachero had even mentioned Amaryllis and Amabi by name. That must be it.

In that case, Ridikill would be very wary when he went to meet Mamacala later on that day. _Not_ going to meet him was out of the question – Mamacala would be wrathful enough as it was with his order to avoid Amaryllis ignored, and now Ridikill was being spied on, he couldn't risk defying Mamacala again.

All Ridikill knew was that twenty four hours ago his biggest worry in the world was whether or not he would be able to get along with Amaryllis' friends, and now he was nervously glancing around every few seconds, looking for any creature who looked remotely capable of being a spy. As he looked at the tiny pond he half-expected Mamacala himself to leap out and drag him into its watery depths.

How had things come to this? Despite the fact that neither of them had ever openly acknowledged it, Mamacala had been the closest thing he had ever had to a father.

Ridikill didn't remember much about his time as a cub, but he knew he came from somewhere far away from the Elephant Graveyard and the Pride Lands. He had vague memories of huddling close to his mother in a warm, cosy den, but they were fleeting. Then he remembered being alone, abandoned or separated from her for some reason one day. He recalled being chased on different occasions, by other hyenas, by lions, by leopards, by jackals, by hunting dogs, and he remembered narrow escapes that had left him as a frightened, sobbing ball of fur tucked up in a burrow, wallowing in self-pity because he had no-one to turn to.

Those memories hurt. Why had there been no-one to look after him? Why had no-one nuzzled him and held him close and told him everything was going to be okay now? He didn't know. He was just a little cub.

Somehow he managed to avoid being eaten and starving to death, resorting to scavenging to survive, but because of the bigger carnivores present at a carcass he had always had to wait until there was only a little gristle and fat left on the bones, and even less meat.

One night, on the prowl for rodents in the long grass, he had come across a creature he had never seen before. It had lunged at him when it saw him, but it had been slow and he managed to scamper away. The beast muttered something and began to plod off.

Curious, Ridikill had followed and began asking it questions. Eventually it introduced itself as Mamacala, and suddenly it became very interested in him. It began asking why such a young hyena cub was all alone at night, and when Ridikill had replied that he didn't know and began to sob the crocodile had said something that had stayed with him for the rest of his life.

"Grow up, kid. You're never going to make it when you're so weak and fragile. Harden your heart until you care about nothing more than yourself and your own personal gain, then just when you think you can't get any tougher, redouble your efforts. Become as cold as stone and as cruel as fire, and when you realize that you like it that way, come and seek me out".

And so Ridikill had: to survive at first, his new killer instinct helping him cope with the trials of life, but soon he was positively revelling in his newfound villainy. He used it to force his way into a small local hyena clan when he was still young, and before long he was leading hunting packs out on expeditions and gorging himself on bloody chunks of zebra, wildebeest, impala, gazelle…

He began looking for the strange crocodile, and one day he found him lurking in some marshes. The reptile had recognized him immediately, and their strange relationship was forged. Ridikill would seek the old titan out and listen to his advice, his old stories and criticism. Soon he began to think of Mamacala as, if not a father figure, then a guiding figure. In fact it was Mamacala who one day had suggested to him that he leave his clan and head south to find the bountiful Pride Lands; a place Mamacala was familiar with himself.

Now Ridikill found himself torn between two worlds. On one side Mamacala beckoned, encouraging him to become stronger, pitiless and emotionally alone. On the other side Amaryllis gently encouraged him to step into the light, make friends, accept that others had rights too and to stop trying to prove to everyone how fierce he was.

Who would he follow? Logic suggested following the crocodile, his age-old adviser who'd seen much of the world and had aided him since he was young. But his heart told him to follow Amaryllis, a lioness he had only met recently, an enemy, and to lead a simpler, less twisted life.

A stork squawked nearby. It interrupted Ridikill's rumination. He looked at the sun on the horizon and glowered. Amaryllis was late. By at least an hour. Why was she keeping him waiting? Did she have better things to do all of a sudden? Ridikill was annoyed.

Eventually she appeared, rushing through the elephant grass. She stopped at the pond's edge, panting.

"Hey", she gasped, "Sorry I'm late".

"Damn right", Ridikill growled, "What took you so long?"

She looked at him, "Hunting, actually".

"So that's more important than me sitting here and wasting half my damn day waiting for you?"

Amaryllis looked hurt, "Yes, actually. Kiara insisted after we lost our kill last night, which was pretty much your pack's fault. Otherwise we'd all have gone hungry".

"Oh. Sorry", Ridikill said, feeling guilty.

"It's okay, forget about it", Amaryllis smiled; she was pleased Ridikill was able to swallow his pride and apologise these days, "Now, let's go, shall we?"

"Go? Go where?" Ridikill looked confused.

"To meet your clan, of course".

Ridikill stared, "What? I said no, didn't I? I said I didn't have no real friends there".

"Yeah, I know, but I still think I should go see for myself. Come on, let's move", she stood up and began to walk on.

"Amaryllis, no!" Ridikill barked, "My comrades aren't as friendly as yours! They'll kill you!"

"I don't think so", Amaryllis replied.

Ridikill was angry; angry that Amaryllis refused to listen to him and angry that she presumed to know so much about his clan when he had told her so little, "And what makes you so sure?" he snarled.

"Well, you've never tried to kill me, and from what you've told me, you're by far the nastiest piece of work in your clan".

Ridikill didn't have an answer to that. He watched as Amaryllis walked away, and with an irritated sigh he followed her.

* * *

Ed was licking one of the bones of the previous night's meal with his rasp-like tongue. A small puddle of drool gathered on the floor around him. He watched as Shenzi paced up and down, scowling.

"Typical. Just typical. I finally get the strength to go on a hunt and we run into not just the lions, but crocodiles as well!" she was saying, "Can't anything run smooth for once?"

Banzai sat on his haunches and watched her, "I still say you shouldn'ta gone last night. You're still limpin' bad".

She glared at him, "If I say I'm fit to go, baldie, I'm fit to go".

Ed laughed.

Banzai looked bewildered, "'Baldie'?..."

Shenzi ignored him, "Well, at least it did some good for me to get out there, stretch my muscles and remind the pack whose in charge, but I was hoping we wouldn't come to blows with Simba's crew. That's gonna make things awkward tomorrow".

"You still wanna go ahead and talk to King Kitty Cat tomorrow? What's to stop Simba from ripping us apart after what we did last night?" Banzai argued.

"Nothin', I guess. But I don't think he will. He don't seem to be that kind of guy".

"Still a big risk. It's gonna be difficult to sweet-talk him into letting us stay here when he's going hungry 'cos of us…"

"I know, for crying out loud! That's why I need to think very, very carefully. I'm sure I'll think of something as long as I'm not disturbed…"

At that instant there was a loud yammering of harsh voices and whooping. It was coming from off to the right, through some thicket. Shenzi rolled her eyes.

"Great. Just great".

Banzai groaned, "We better go see what that's about".

The trio walked through the dusty scrub, flicking their tails idly. It was probably a brawl causing the commotion, and it needed breaking up. But they were in no real hurry – the longer a fight went on the more entertaining it generally became, and they each had half a mind to just sit back and watch for the hell of it.

But as they rounded a corner in the scrub they saw something they would never have been prepared for.

Two score of hyenas, young and adult alike, were darting around in agitation, snarling and shrieking. They were all reacting to something off to the right. Shenzi looked, and to her disbelief she saw a lioness, standing there, bold as brass.

To complicate matters further, standing next to her was a hyena. Not just any hyena, but Ridikill.

Shenzi stood and stared dumbly, trying to understand what she was seeing. When that failed she closed her eyes to clear her vision, opened them and stared again. She still couldn't figure it out.

Eventually she walked forward, cautiously, keeping her eyes on the lioness and Ridikill. Banzai and Ed followed. They sauntered over to stand in front of the baying hyena mob, never averting their eyes.

The lioness was nervous. She was trying to mask it with a calm, reassured look, but judging by the slightest way her back leg was twitching and the anxious swish of her tail she was ready to take flight at a moment's notice.

Ridikill, on the other hand, was looking incredibly sulky. He brushed one leg against the other in a remarkably awkward fashion, something Shenzi had never seen in him. He looked very much like an embarrassed yet sullen cub.

Shenzi tried to work out was she was seeing here again, gave up, and then decided to find out for herself.

She raised her voice above the ruckus of the hysterical pack and yelled, "Shut up!"

Gradually the riot died down, subsiding into muffled yelps and whines.

Shenzi looked at Ridikill, "So? What's going on here?"

Ridikill looked up at her with dark eyes, "Long story".

"We ain't goin' nowhere in a hurry", she replied, "Start explaining".

He licked his lips anxiously; _that_ was certainly something Shenzi had never seen before, "This is Amaryllis".

There was a long pause. He didn't seem willing to explain any further beyond that.

"And…?" Banzai said impatiently.

Ridikill didn't answer.

Eventually the lioness spoke, trying to keep the waver out of her voice, "I'm a friend of Ridikill's. He brought me here to meet you all".

Ridikill shot a furious look at her, "I did not _bring_ you here. You _insisted_ on coming".

"Whatever", Amaryllis said, and continued to talk in a diplomatic fashion to the assembled hyenas, "I realize this might be a bit of a shock, but please don't be alarmed. I don't wish any of you any harm, despite the differences our two species have".

Shenzi ran her tongue along the inside of her mouth, mulling over the lioness' words. She found it hard to believe Ridikill had a _friend_, let alone a lion, let alone a female at that. But there was currently no other satisfactory explanation. The pack listened, struck dumb with amazement.

"I've only come to become acquainted with my good friend's pack mates, and I hope you can tolerate having me around for at least a few minutes", Amaryllis was saying, "I can assure you my intentions are honest".

Of course, there was every chance she had come simply to gather intelligence for her pride, but to Shenzi it seemed like a ridiculously elaborate scheme for such a simple task. To have a lioness trick and befriend Ridikill, a seemingly impossible task in itself, just to spy on them was ludicrous: a mole rat in a burrow or a hornbill in a tree would have done just as well.

Perhaps the lioness was on some other mission, a personal quest for vengeance on the hyenas for example by killing a cub or one of the leaders. After the recent attempt on her life Shenzi was all too aware of that unpleasant possibility, but there was something so painfully genuine about the lioness' plea that Shenzi couldn't believe this was a suicide mission by a fanatical psychopath.

This could be a potential diplomatic victory, showing a member of Simba's Pride that her clan could live side-by-side with the lions. Relations could do with some mending after last night's tussle over the eland carcass. Besides, any attempt at anything untoward by the lioness could be easily quashed, with so many edgy hyenas at her command.

She shrugged, fighting back the urge to wince at the pain from her scars as she did, "Eh, what the hell. As long as there's no mischief it's fine by me", she yawned deliberately, exaggerating the casualness of the action to reassure her clan.

She sat down. Ed and Banzai swiftly followed her lead and she began grooming herself.

Confidence was contagious: gradually the other hyenas began to calm down and lower their guard, although they kept their wary eyes on Amaryllis as she followed Ridikill to stand uncertainly at the edge of the group.

Ridikill appeared to be at a loss, staring dumbly at the throng of hyenas doing their best to ignore him and Amaryllis, and for one horrible moment Amaryllis realized Ridikill had been telling the truth: he really _didn't_ have any friends in his own clan. Not true friends who would make an effort to make him and his strange companion welcome, as Vitani had done for her. Nobody was going to move to make room for them and no-one was going to try and spark up a conversation with Amaryllis. The realization both saddened and shamed her: she had taken it for granted that Ridikill had been exaggerating about his social life in an attempt to avoid forced communal interaction.

Ridikill had his own solution to the problem however.

"Move over, maggots!" he snarled, "Get out of my way, Burudi! Move it, Sarkil! Come on, move your hides!"

At the familiar abusive bellowing of Ridikill general chatter started to resume, although Amaryllis was well aware that everybody was keeping an eye on her. Ridikill forced a way through his comrades, bullying them out of his way. Amaryllis followed meekly in his path, smiling apologetically at the hyenas who had to step aside. They didn't seem bothered: apparently they were used to such treatment.

At last Ridikill seemed to have reached a spot he was happy with in the midst of a small group and sat down on his haunches. Amaryllis followed suit. The group of hyenas, numbering about two dozen, seemed to accept their subservience to Ridikill, albeit grudgingly, and Amaryllis supposed they were his hunting party.

"So this is where you been running off to, eh Ridikill?" one female hyena crooned, "To hang with a lion?"

Amaryllis was almost glad the pack was going to confront this directly as opposed to letting everything boil down to awkward silences. But that seemed to be the hyena way – they said what they wanted and if it offended another they settled it with a scrap.

Ridikill raised his broad head, "Shut up Sarkil. That's none of your business".

"Obviously it is our business otherwise you wouldn't have forced us all to meet her", the hyena bitch snorted.

Ridikill cast a sidelong look at Amaryllis – he was annoyed with her for having forced him into this humiliating situation but was unwilling to blame it all on her in front of anyone else. So he said nothing.

Amaryllis decided to take responsibility for the matter, "Actually it was my idea. I thought it was only fair since I made him meet my pride".

She expected some form of muted gratitude from Ridikill, but she got nothing.

One scruffy little dog hyena almost crawled towards the lioness, "Uh-huh. Silly question though, what's our resident 'tough guy' doin' consortin' with the enemy, anyway? Not thinkin' of betraying us are ya, Ridikill?"

"I'd gladly sell _your _stinking hide for a scrap of rotten warthog meat, Groco", Ridikill growled, "But no. I got better things to worry about than any stupid grudge against the lions".

"Is that _really_ you, Ridikill?" Babaka said, rapping on the chief's skull with his paw, annoying him, "You _hate_ lions".

Ridikill shrugged, "I hate everything".

"…True enough".

"But if ya hate everything, why you making the effort to hang out with a lioness?" Kapungu pointed out.

Amaryllis was aware of one hyena in particular staring at her. It was a skinny male hyena with a long scar running from his right temple across his face to end at the left side of his lower jaw. He was gazing at her as if she was an unfathomable mystery. It bothered her slightly; she wished the hyena would just come out and say what was so interesting him but he seemed content just to stare.

Apparently unaware of this dynamic, Ridikill was snapping at Kapungu, "Like I said, it's none of your business! I can bring whoever I damn well please here, so long as I have Shenzi's, Banzai's and Ed's approval. And you heard 'em, I do, so shut your faces!"

The pack seemed to accept they were going to get no more answers out of Ridikill and so they turned their attention to Amaryllis. They began bombarding her with questions.

Was she a lion spy? How could she prove she wasn't? Was she native to the Pride Lands? How close was she to King Simba? What did Simba think of the hyena presence in the Pride Lands? What did the rest of the pride think? Why? Did she have a mate? Did she have any cubs? What was his name? What kind of dumb name was that? How did she know Ridikill? Why were they friends? Didn't she know Ridikill was a vicious psychopath? Were the lions finding the dry season difficult? Were they mad at them for stealing their kill the night before? How mad? How old was she? Why was her fur a weird grey colour? Did she know about the attack on Shenzi? What was her opinion on it?

Amaryllis was busy answering all these and many more for over two hours. They positively swamped her with questions, and since different hyenas kept wandering in and out of the conversation (sometimes she had an audience of thirty or more and sometimes less than ten) she was often asked the same question more than once and forced to repeat her answer. Ridikill sat off to one side, looking miserable.

The lioness answered all the hyenas' questions to the best of her ability, and for the most part they seemed satisfied with her answers, although they had difficulty accepting the fact that she was Ridikill's friend. She was still aware of the one scarred hyena staring at her however. He hadn't spoken up once. Ridikill had stalked over to him at one point and they had shared a muttered conversation, but Amaryllis hadn't been able to hear any of it over the intense questioning.

Once or twice the leader trio attended the impromptu mass interview. The sly-looking female, Amaryllis remembered she was called Shenzi, took more interest than her two male colleagues.

Eventually the frenzied questions began to die down and Amaryllis, feeling exhausted, was allowed to engage in more casual conversation with the hyenas. Satisfied she wasn't a threat, they relaxed and just accepted her presence. They talked of usual things: hunting, the herds, water supplies, the benefits of scavenging over hunting and vice versa. Amaryllis kept up and participated as best as she could, and the hyenas seemed interested enough by her contributions.

Ridikill didn't join in, and after a while Amaryllis caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. He was standing off to side on his own. He looked just as out-of-place as he had when he had met _her_ friends previously. These were his kin but he felt no kinship with them, Amaryllis realized, or if he did he didn't show it. To his comrades he was a bully, a figure of fear and hate. Judging by their disbelief in Ridikill's and Amaryllis' friendship not one of them seemed aware of the affectionate side he had shown her. That saddened her.

It also made her uncomfortable. After what seemed like a polite amount of time to sit and listen to the pack chatter, squabble and gossip she stood up and walked over to Ridikill. The hyenas watched her go.

"Well, it's been great meeting you all, but I think I'd better get home to Amabi now".

"Whose Amabi?" one hyena asked.

"Her adopted son, you idiot", little Groco squealed.

"Oh yeah, that's right".

"You didn't know that! You weren't even listenin'!"

"I was too!"

"Were not!"

Before a scuffle could break out Amaryllis spoke, lowering her head courteously as she did, "Thank you all for making me welcome. Hope to see you again soon".

There was a general chorus of mostly pleasant farewells. Amaryllis turned to leave. Ridikill came to her side.

"I'll walk with you", he said quietly, "I gotta go somewhere after anyway".

"Alright".

They head south in the warm glow of the afternoon sun. The pack watched them go.

"Well, she wasn't so bad", Babaka mused, "For a scum-sucking lion, I mean. She seemed nice enough".

"Weird though, eh?" Kapungu growled, "What's _he_ doing hanging out with a lioness?"

Burudi the scarred hyena spoke up for the first time in the whole afternoon, "Dunno. This explains a lot though. Like why's he's been acting so strange lately…well stranger than usual anyway".

"He must have finally lost it", Groco piped up, "Maybe he's gone cuckoo and he thinks he's a lion now".

"I doubt it", Sarkil sneered, "I don't like that big lug but he's no moron. He always has his own agenda".

"As do I", Burudi said, and he picked himself up and began heading in the direction Amaryllis and Ridikill had gone.

"Hey, where ya going?" yelped Groco.

Burudi didn't answer.

* * *

"Sorry if that was uncomfortable for you", Amaryllis said.

Ridikill looked at her, "Don't sweat it".

"Your pack seemed pretty nice".

He rolled his eyes, "Insufferable, useless little whiners".

Amaryllis sighed, "Oh Ridikill, you really have got to learn to tolerate others".

He stopped, and when she looked at him she was surprised to see him smiling. It was a warm, genuine, if a little weary, smile.

"I _am _learning", he said, "I gotta run. You take care. I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nodded, taken aback by his apparent good mood, "Yeah. Sometime in the morning, okay?"

"Good", he stepped forward awkwardly and placed one foreleg around her neck and squeezed briefly: it was an embarrassed attempt at a hug. She returned it.

He turned and walked away to the west. She watched him go for a moment, wondering where he was heading. Perhaps he just wanted to be alone. He was certainly in an odd mood. While the meeting with his clan had obviously displeased him he was being good enough not to make a fuss. There was also something heart-wrenchingly painful about the way he had hugged her in a comradely fashion; it was as if he was a soldier going off to die in war, saying farewell to a friend for the last time.

A little unsettled, Amaryllis began to walk home. It was a pleasant, warm afternoon, and the herds were out in force on the plains: they were thick on the savannah like a shifting, furry blanket.

After a while Amaryllis began to feel uneasy. Without her even noticing it, her hair stood on end and her senses sharpened. She had the sense that she wasn't alone: although that seemed obvious with the herds of hundreds nearby, this was different. It was the unmistakable sense of being followed, but when she glanced back she saw nothing.

She went on for a while without looking back, then just as the electric jolts of adrenaline began to dart through her nervous system again, she switched about and charged forward a few pieces.

A hyena darted back through the long, dead grass, yowling and giggling in a moment of pure instinctive reaction. After Amaryllis stopped charging however, it drew to a halt a safe distance away and stared at her.

Amaryllis recognized it immediately, "I know you! Still can't quit staring, eh?"

It was the scarred hyena who had glared at her throughout the entire meeting. He gave her a foul look, and then spat.

"Garn! Us hyenas really aren't built for stealth. Oh well. I was going to have to break cover eventually", Burudi growled.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"I'm Burudi, and I want to talk to you".

_Burudi_. The name was familiar. Ridikill had mentioned him a few times when discussing his hunting pack. She recalled that Burudi was Ridikill's chosen lieutenant on hunts, and was, in his words 'the closest thing we have to a halfway decent hunter in that rabble besides myself'.

She simply said, "If you wanted to talk to me you should have done it back there in the scrub with everyone else".

"This is a little more private", he took a few steps closer, apparently convinced she wasn't a danger, "I understand you're friendly with Ridikill, my hunting pack leader".

"You noticed. How remarkably perceptive of you".

"You're making a mistake".

"Oh? What's that?"

"Assuming you can befriend Ridikill. You can't get close to him".

"How do you know?"

"Because I've spent years trying to become pals with that thug and it's not gotten me anywhere!" Burudi snapped, looking both embarrassed and outraged.

"Oh", Amaryllis gazed at him with her cool green eyes, wondering what to say, "Um…well I hate to break this to you but me and Ridikill are already friends".

"That can't be right", he growled.

"Why not?"

"Because Ridikill doesn't care for anyone but himself. All he's concerned with is making himself feel good. And he only feels good when acts bad, by terrorizing others. That's the way he is".

"_Was_, maybe. I think he's changed".

"What, in the short time you've known him? How long is that? A few weeks?"

Refusing to be ashamed, Amaryllis replied, "Not even that long".

"Ha! And it's all because of you? You think you can just show up and befriend that miserable swine? Do you have any idea how much paw-licking I had to go through just to become his most trusted lieutenant? And that's still far short of 'friend'!"

There was some obvious pain in his stricken voice. Amaryllis listened to him, then cocked her head to one side.

"I'm sorry if it annoys you, but Ridikill and I are friends. Why else would he be being me to meet you all today?"

"He always has his own agenda".

"Like what?"

There was no answer. Burudi stared at her evenly for a while, and then lowered his eyes.

"How did you do it?" he mumbled eventually.

"What?"

"I said how did you do it? How did you get him to open up? I've tried to become his friend for so long…"

He trailed off. Amaryllis said, "Did you ever stand up to him?"

"Eh?"

"Did you ever stand up to him and his bluster and threats and tell him to shut up, or did you accept it and keep crawling by his side?"

"Why you…" but there was no real anger in Burudi's voice.

"I mean it. It wasn't until I told him I wasn't about to be intimidated by his bullying that he began to respect me, and eventually like me. Also, why do you want to be pals with him? Is it because you think there's someone fragile and decent under all that aggression, or because you just want to be in his good books?"

Burudi was silent, head bowed. At last he looked up and smiled, "I can see why he likes you, lioness. You're good at this kinda thing".

"I try", she said, but the hyena was leaving.

"Farewell", she called.

He looked over his shoulder at her and nodded. Amaryllis continued on her way home. She wondered whether or not she'd made not only a new friend for herself, but one for Ridikill as well.

* * *

Ridikill could feel his heart sink a little more with every step he took. He was picking his way through Grant Gazelle thicket, heading west. The sky was all but black and the sun had slipped behind the horizon. He was late. Amaryllis' insisted meeting with the clan had delayed him.

He picked up the pace, although he was just as tempted to turn tail and flee. He had only the strange python's word that he was in fact heading towards a rendezvous with Mamacala, but he believed it. Not only did the python have the manner of someone who'd spent far too long in the crocodile's company, but the very presence of Mamacala was like a blight on the Pride Lands' clean soil, a stain on the earth. Ridikill could sense him.

It was a feeling Ridikill had previously revelled in, but no more. While he was still drawn to the crocodile's mysterious ways he was no longer convinced that Mamacala was the only source of wisdom in this world; nor was he his only possible companion. Amaryllis offered him advice and friendship, and he coveted it in a different way to how he had had desired the cunning guidance of the ancient reptile.

But he couldn't turn back, not now. As Kachero the python had said, Mamacala got what he wanted, sapping the free will of others. Ridikill would not have been able to find the resolve to turn aside now even if he had wanted to. Mamacala had obviously been watching him and his liaisons with the lions: if he were to disobey now, the crocodile would find him and kill him, possibly along with Amaryllis and Amabi. How, Ridikill was not sure, but he would. If Mamacala was to kill him at this meeting, then best to get it over with quickly and not endanger anyone else.

It had nearly broken Ridikill's heart to say goodbye to Amaryllis for what he suspected was the last time, but he had managed to keep a straight face and not whimper like a cub. He couldn't let her or anyone else know he was going to his death. And he couldn't let them know how pathetic he really was – unable to resist the summons of an insane old croc for fear of retribution. They wouldn't understand: they didn't know Mamacala.

Both disgusted with himself for obeying the crocodile to the letter and proud of himself for marching boldly to meet his fate, he neared the termite mounds. They were towering structures about twelve feet tall, and they were awfully imposing, casting massive shadows even in the failing light – night had fallen with surprising swiftness. At least he wasn't late.

He looked up at the nearest mound. He found it hard to believe that they were insect-made. The ground near the red towers was barren, with wisps of short dead grass; the mounds were long-abandoned, for whatever reason. Ridikill didn't pretend to understand the lives of insects.

As he gazed up at the first one, sillheoueted against the dark sky, the top of the mound suddenly shifted. Ridikill started. A large portion of the rock-hard mountain seemed to break off and slowly ooze down its slope towards him.

His eyes focused in the moonlight and he saw it for what it was – a large python crawling towards him. He assumed it was Kachero, but when it reached out with its small head towards him he saw it had different markings.

"Come", it hissed in a higher-pitched voice than Kachero's voice, "The Master is waiting".

It slipped to the floor and led the way through the termite mounds. Ridikill followed, listening to the awful sound of the snake's dry underbelly scales scraping on the dried earth beneath it.

He found himself in a ring of surrounding mounds, leaning over him like trees in a forest. As he looked about, to his horror he saw more and more giant pythons. Some were wrapped around the peak of the termite mounds, others were slithering down them, some were coiled on the floor, some were lying with the upper third of their body standing stiff as a pole in the air.

He was uncomfortably aware they were all staring at him with dark, bulging eyes. They flicked their forked pink tongues in his direction, tasting his scent. There were seven or eight of them - Ridikill wasn't certain because their long, undulating bodies linked in a mass of coils here and there and it was impossible to tell where one snake ended and one snake started. They were all astonishingly huge. None were as big as the twenty-foot-plus Kachero, who glared at Ridikill with his paralyzing eyes, but they were all over twelve feet long and some were very nearly as large as their apparent leader. Right there and then, Ridikill decided that large snakes were the most terrifying creatures on the planet.

"Ah, there you are, Ridikill".

With one exception.

The crocodile rose out of the darkness, surpassing the pythons and it even seemed like some of the termite mounds with his formidable bulk. How he had hidden from Ridikill's view the hyena didn't know, but now Mamacala was mere inches from his face, the long teeth of his lower jaw far too close for comfort.

Thankfully the crocodile shifted a little with apparent great exertion, although Ridikill suspected the old reptile to be capable of far greater feats of athleticism than he demonstrated. The great ancient head moved slowly from left to right, pointed snout aiming just a little higher than Ridikill's head. As he did so often, Mamacala was engaging in the pure reptilian habit of talking to someone while not actually looking at them. Previously Ridikill had found it fascinating: now it seemed more than a little disconcerting.

"Perhaps you're alarmed by my associates. Don't be. They will do you no harm. They're loyal followers of my wisdom, just as you are, Ridikill".

Ridikill said nothing. He was in no hurry to mention his defiance of Mamacala in meeting Amaryllis again. He might have been brave but he didn't have a death wish.

"You've already met my first lieutenant, Kachero", the crocodile continued.

"Lieutenant?" that aroused Ridikill's curiosity, "You talk as if you're the leader of a pack of some kind, Mamacala".

Scattered hisses broke out among the pythons at the hyena's discourteous words and Ridikill could see they really were subjects of Mamacala's will, whether blindly loyal or opportunistic boot-lickers. It was strange. He would never have guessed the strange old croc to have any associates, let alone a seemingly organized group of them.

"Not pack, no", Mamacala ignored the protesting pythons, "The leader of a group of like-minded individuals who have come together to discuss how the world may be better shaped. Under the supervision of my wisdom, of course".

"'How the world may be better shaped?' You never told me you were interested in politics. In fact you seemed just the opposite. You told me…"

"I also told you, for many years, that I had no real comrades apart from you, Ridikill. As you can see, that's not true. One thing you must understand about me Ridikill: I am a _superb_ liar.

"My loyal followers came to me through my first associate Kachero, after my own kind, alas, rejected my wisdom. I educated him in much the same fashion as I did you, Ridikill. But instead of encouraging him to keep my teachings a secret, as I did with you, I instructed him to persuade more of his kind to meet with me and to learn from me. All those worthy, at least".

At a look from Mamacala Kachero spoke up, "We are all kin, brothers and sisters, students of the Lord of the Rivers, the ancient and glorious Devourer. Only those whose strength, wisdom and loyalty suitably impressed the Master were allowed to proceed down this path. The rest were destroyed. You stand at the fateful fork on just such a path, hyena. Choose your words wisely".

Ridikill could say nothing but glared defiantly at Kachero for no other reason than he didn't really like the python. This was all too much for him. He was seeing Mamacala in an entirely new light, and it revealed him to be even more sinister and disturbing than he already was.

Mamacala seemed to grow bored with the fanatical preaching, even if it was himself being worshipped, "But this is all besides the point. I have summoned you here for a purpose. You've been meeting with the lioness Amaryllis again".

Ridikill could feel all the blood draining from his face. So he _did_ know. He regretted his cocky words. The crocodile was looking directly at him, and there was the glint of murder in those green eyes.

He opened his mouth to answer. He stuttered. There was no point in lying. Mamacala _knew_. He knew he had questioned his wisdom, had defied him. As unimportant as the event might have seemed to some, Ridikill knew Mamacala's pride would not allow it to continue.

"Calm yourself. You're shaking", the crocodile said, staring, emotionless, "How positively _mammalian_ of you. You need not be alarmed. You have done exactly as I knew you would".

Ridikill closed his mouth and gazed at Mamacala.

The crocodile went on, "You're easy to manipulate, Ridikill. Largely due to your anger, your greatest weakness. I _knew_ you were angry with me for denouncing the lioness, even if you yourself did not. It was the quickest and most reliable method to ensure that you went crawling back to the lioness, desiring her company".

"But…" Ridikill gawked, lost and confused, "But why…?"

"Why did I need you meet with the lioness again? Simple, my devoted Ridikill. I needed both of you to bond. I needed her to _trust_ you, above all.

"Don't ask any questions. All will be revealed. To you too, my faithful pythons. The reason for my decades of deception, the reason for my training of you all in the arts of cruelty and cunning and the fruition of my century of crawling in the mud, plotting and scheming whilst others have the gall to claim the right to rule these lands!"

He slammed his tail into the earth, and the ground quaked and the termite mounds trembled. The pythons recoiled.

Mamacala mastered his brief flash of anger and went on in slow, drawling tones, "The final plot on this fateful day is absurdly simple, really, laughably straightforward. But then the best plans always are.

"As all present but Ridikill are aware, I am not content to live a life of subservience to any creature. That includes the lions, the 'mighty Kings of the Pride Lands'. I have seen many of them come and go, and what might seem like the Kings of generations ago to the short-lived mammals is but last season's vulture fodder to this old crocodile.

"I travelled far and wide for some years, seeking a land free of the oppressive stench of mammalian rule, but there is none. Everywhere the lions laze in the shade, the hyenas lope across the plains, the leopards skulk in the trees, the cheetahs cower in the shade and the wild dogs loiter in their burrows".

As bizarre as the crocodile was Ridikill was still stunned to hear such words from him. Every single time Ridikill had complained about the injustice of lion rule Mamacala had claimed disinterest and brushed the matter aside. To know that he hated not only lion but mammalian domination with such fanatical zeal frightened Ridikill. It left him wondering where he fitted into Mamacala's plans.

"But now is the time for reptiles to overthrow their mammalian suppressors. We will no longer lurk in the shadows and feign resigned satisfaction", Mamacala was saying, "We will purge the Pride Lands.

"Have no fear, Ridikill. You are excepted from my hatred of the mammalian carnivores. After all, you are a loyal student of my reptilian ruthlessness. You are crucial to my plans.

"We will crush the only other two real contenders for the rule of the Pride Lands: the lions and the hyenas. And to do so we must play on the hatred the two species have for each other. There are far too many of them for us to fight. We shall have them destroy each other".

The pythons craned their sleek necks forward, eager to hear more. Ridikill didn't know what to say or even what to think. All he knew was he felt sick. He wished Amaryllis was around.

The crocodile continued, giving no indication of his emotions, "Tomorrow evening the King of the Pride Lands, Simba, is scheduled to meet with the leaders of the Elephant Graveyard, Shenzi, Banzai and…Ed", he said the last name as if it was unfamiliar and absurd to him, "Don't ask how I know, Ridikill. As I'm sure you're aware by now, I have spies.

"And this is where your little friendship with Amaryllis will come into play. You will meet with her tomorrow and tell her that you have received instructions from your clan leaders to march out in the afternoon. You will make her believe that the entire hyena clan is assembling for an attack on the lion pride, with the intent of first claiming the life of Simba while he is isolated and unprotected, and then marching on to destroy a disheartened pride and claim rule over the Pride Lands.

"She will return to Pride Rock and report this information to Simba who, despite his attempts to keep peace with the hyenas so far, will see no choice but to lead the lion pride in an attempt to defeat the hyena army in open battle. He will not risk the slaughter of his people for his principles.

"Meanwhile you will return to your clan and inform your leaders that you have learned from Amaryllis that Simba intends to do much the same – to lead his pride in an attempt to terminate first them, then the rest of the clan. They will believe this; I'm sure, because as of a few hours ago I believe your friendship with the lioness was revealed to them".

It wasn't a question. He knew.

"And so what do we have? The end result will be two armies, lion and hyena, marching out to meet one another on the plains in glorious battle, a bloody fight to the finish. And when each army is aware of the other, it will merely confirm their suspicions. They will attack one another and destroy each other".

Some of the pythons reared up and flung their jaws open, apparently in a form of celebration, but Mamacala interrupted, "That's not all. I am aware, of course, that both sides will probably not be utterly vanquished in the battle. One side will triumph, although very much weakened. I have contingency plans for this.

"While both armies march to their doom we, my loyal pythons, shall make our own way to an all-but-deserted Pride Rock. If the lions should triumph, we will take the stragglers they will surely have left behind, the old, the very young, the infirm, and hold them hostage. With such valuable detainees we will be able to blackmail the lions into abandoning their home, if their numbers are not so few that we decide to merely terminate them.

"And if the hyenas should triumph…well we will kill the worthless lion hostages and rely instead on you, Ridikill. You must see to it that _you_ survive the battle: stay out of harm's way if you must. And see to it that your leaders do not survive, although I doubt that will be necessary; they will be the first targets for any determined lions in the melee.

"With your leaders dead, the clan all but destroyed and you fit and strong, you will assert leadership over your fellows. You will lead them to Pride Rock to claim lordship over the Pride Lands. Of course, myself and my python followers will be there. You will hand over your leadership to me, and we will kill any of the exhausted who are foolish enough to protest.

"Then the Pride Lands will be under my command, and we will begin a new age of reptilian domination. Have no fear, Ridikill, you will have a prominent place in our new order. But you will be the exception, as lion and hyena will be both be obliterated, and I will be in control at last".

"And the world will rejoice!" Kachero shrieked, unable to hold back any longer, "All hail your grand and glorious rise to power!"

The pythons began swaying back and forth, hissing and screeching in an unearthly fashion. Ridikill stood in the midst of it all, unable to comprehend what was unfolding before him.

"Remember your part well, Ridikill", Mamacala said over the din of the pythons, and Ridikill turned to look into his deep green eyes, "You must make Amaryllis believe your every word when you meet her tomorrow. She must believe that there is nothing that she can do but crawl home to Simba and report the tragic news of the imminent hyena attack.

"And the same with your clan leaders. All that is needed is to get both armies on the move: when both are, rumour of the oncoming war will spread and it will become a reality for both sides.

"Join the hyena force but do not get too involved with the battle: you _must_ survive. When it is all over, your efforts will be repaid tenfold. Will you obey my orders?"

Ridikill opened his trembling jaw; he was sure that he was going to scream but to his everlasting horror and shock he found himself reciting, "As you command, Mamacala".

* * *


	18. Indecision

Author's note: Glad to hear you're all caught up in the story. Hopefully I can still pull one or two more surprises yet eh? Hehe. Hope this keeps you entertained. The real action begins soon. Please read and review if you get the chance!

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

_Born in grief._

It was a glorious day in the Pride Lands. It was mid-morning and the sun's rays beat down, unmasked by clouds, but at the same time there was a cool wind blowing westward, providing some relief for the Pride Landers. All in all the weather was perfect.

Which Ridikill found most unsettling. He would have preferred a day overcast with clouds, or perhaps driving rain with flashes of lightning and cracks of thunder. It would certainly have been more appropriate for what he was about do.

He stepped quietly over the broken ground, idly wondering when the rains were going to come. He was trying to distract himself, and he knew that. He didn't want to think about what he was undertaking. He was about to lie to his only real friend. It was a lie that would ultimately destroy both his own hyena clan and her lion pride. Her included, most likely.

He didn't _want_ to do this. He wanted no part in Mamacala's insane scheme to create some reptilian empire. Listening to the crocodile last night had confirmed Ridikill's deepest, darkest suspicions about his mentor – that he was a mad, twisted old creature – and much, much more. Ridikill wanted nothing more to do with him.

But it wasn't like he had a choice. Mamacala's hold over him was strong. The crocodile merely had to look him in the eyes to instil the fear of God in him. A glare from those merciless eyes reminded him of how young, inexperienced and foolish he really was. Of how much he owed to Mamacala's wisdom. And how unwise it would be to disobey him.

_Raised in hate._

It had to be done though. What an irony. Just as Ridikill was learning to value the existence of others, he had been recruited to instigate genocide in the Pride Lands and wipe out everyone he knew. Everyone except Mamacala.

The pond where he met Amaryllis came into view. He stopped dead and stared at it. Amaryllis…everything she had done for him was merely a cruel joke now. He was going to indirectly kill her.

But…and the thought flashed into Ridikill's mind like a lightning bolt – there _was_ another option. He could disobey Mamacala. He could make no mention of the fictional hyena attempt to take over the Pride Lands. No war would be instigated then. Of course Mamacala would come for him, whether personally or not Ridikill didn't know.

Ridikill would run and hide, fleeing the Pride Lands and leaving his life there behind. It wouldn't be safe any longer. And he would have to travel alone for the rest of his days – it would be dangerous to associate with anyone. Maybe one day in some foreign corner of the world Mamacala or an agent of his would come upon him in his solitary existence and end him. Or maybe he would escape and live out his lonely years until starvation, disease or maybe old age claimed him. He would rather the former. One thing was certain – his time with Amaryllis had changed him. He no longer wanted to be all by himself.

But wait…there was _another_ choice. Tell Amaryllis everything. Everything of Mamacala and his crazy plot. She would report it to King Simba, while he returned to his clan and told Shenzi, Banzai and Ed everything. Of course it would make him look bad, to be mixed up in such a plot. But perhaps one or both sides would offer him shelter from Mamacala while they hunted the crocodile down and ended him.

For that would be their reaction, Ridikill was sure. Neither faction would tolerate the idea of an ancient enemy secretly plotting their demise. Mamacala was strong but Ridikill was certain he couldn't survive every lion and hyena of the Pride Lands after his blood.

Yes…Ridikill could do that. Tell Amaryllis everything. She would understand. Perhaps be disturbed and disappointed in him, but she would help him. And if things went wrong and Mamacala came for him, so be it. It was the _right_ thing to do, to be honest with everyone. And Ridikill realized he _wanted_ to do the right thing.

He inhaled deeply, lifted his head high and marched towards the pond, more determined than ever to right his wrongs and do some good for the Pride Lands by ending Mamacala's plans before they were set in motion.

With each step his confidence grew and his conviction became stronger. Soon he was pushing his way through the sturdy elephant grass. He emerged on the bank of the pond and found Amaryllis lying on her stomach, staring into the water.

She looked up and smiled, "You're late", she teased. She saw the look on his face and stopped.

He was looking at her with what she could only describe as grim determination. He looked incredibly focused, more so than any lioness Amaryllis had seen on a hunt. His stance was different – he was standing tall, unlike his usual slouched self.

"Ridikill? What's wrong?" she said, standing up.

Ridikill felt good. He was going to do this. He was going to turn his back on Mamacala and he was going to help fix the problems the crocodile had caused. This was his chance to make good on all his years of being a menace.

Amaryllis watched. Before her eyes Ridikill opened his mouth to speak, still tall and strong. Then for a second he seemed to struggle with something, and then he flinched. He hunkered down, cowering low like he was defending himself from a blow. From his cringing huddle he looked up at her, and there was tremendous pain in his eyes.

"I've got bad news. The hyena leaders…they've been planning it all along. The negotiations, everything…all just a charade. A ploy to get Simba to trust them, so they could act out the final stage in their plan".

"What?" Amaryllis blinked, uncomprehending, "What plan?"

"A plan to destroy your pride. Shenzi…she's insane. She's got the entire clan riled up, ranting on about our destiny to claim the Pride Lands. They're ready to fight at a second's notice. She plans to destroy Simba at their meeting today, then marching on to attack Pride Rock and catch the lions off-guard. They're going to kill them all, Amy".

She stared in unabashed shock and horror, "What? That's…impossible. That can't be right".

"It is", he crouched down even lower, "I'm sorry. I had to tell you. I couldn't let you…"

He broke off. He didn't need to say anymore and judging by the anguish on his face he couldn't without bursting into tears. Amaryllis did nothing for a moment, then reached for him, trying to hug him to comfort him.

Immediately he recoiled like a beaten jackal. Amaryllis had never seen him act like that before. But that was understandable. The atrocities the hyenas were planning to commit – how could he not be upset?

She struggled to comprehend what the treachery of the hyena clan would mean. Simba had to know of it as soon as possible. He wouldn't take it lying down, Amaryllis suspected. He would lead the pride on a counter-offensive. And then the war that all the cynical male lions had predicted, the war she had been certain had been averted, would begin. And end, all in one day.

She realized she was crying. This was the end of it all. The Pride Lands as she knew it were about to be changed, to be drenched in blood. And after everything she thought she had done to improve hyena-lion relations. All a joke.

And her friendship with Ridikill. What of that? He had become every bit as dear to her as any of the lionesses. So what happened to them now? This would be their last meeting, unless they were to cross paths on the battle field. The thought of that was unbearable.

She made Ridikill repeat it all again, to go over all the details one last time so she was certain she understood. She needed to tell the pride immediately. There was no time to lose, but she couldn't force herself to leave yet. She didn't want to say goodbye to Ridikill.

She couldn't stand the pained look in his eyes. To think it had all come to this…what a waste. She reached out for him to hug him again, but again he jerked away.

"Don't…don't", he whispered, "Just go. I can't…just go, Amaryllis. Forget about me and go save your people".

"I won't forget", she replied, sobbing, "Take care of yourself. For what it's worth, thank you for everything". That sounded so pathetic. But what could she say? Words couldn't describe how much she was hurting.

Ridikill made no reply. Amaryllis took one last look at him and then turned and ran home.

Ridikill couldn't bring himself to watch her go. He slunk away, heading for the hyena dens. Why? Why had he done it? What on earth had possessed him to betray Amaryllis, sentence her and every other lion and hyena in the Pride Lands to death? He hadn't wanted to. It was Mamacala's influence that had coerced him into it. Or _had_ he wanted to? Maybe it was just in his nature to destroy. Or else it was his destiny.

_Helpless to defy his fate._

Well, there was no turning back now. One down, one to go.

* * *

"What?!" Shenzi barked.

"It's true", Ridikill replied, standing tall and looking Shenzi in the face. There was no trace of emotion on his face. Not a glimmer of remorse or rage.

"That ain't right. This don't sit right with me, Shenz", Banzai said, "You said yourself Simba's an okay guy. Why would he…?"

"I don't know", Shenzi said. She was shaking ever so slightly, and her lips were quivering, "There's just no way…you're certain?"

"Yes. Positive. Amaryllis wouldn't lie to me", Ridikill answered. The bitter irony in that remark made him sick, but he held a straight face. He needed to remain impassive in front of his kin: they would be suspicious at the sight of him as an emotional wreck. It had taken a long time to compose himself before confronting the leader trio with the news.

"Maybe _you_ think so, but you can't be sure, can ya?" it was disturbing to see the usually self-assured Shenzi grasping at straws, "I mean, she might be lying. I got no idea why. She could be crazy".

"That must be it", Banzai forced a grin, "She'd have to be to hang with him Ridikill in the first place, right?"

Nobody could muster up the enthusiasm for a laugh. Not even Ed.

Ridikill needed to play his part and get out of there. While he cared for Amaryllis far more than anyone in his clan, he was having a hard time lying to them about something so momentous. Although he was struggling it was still easy compared to tricking Amaryllis. Perhaps treachery got easier and easier over time. Maybe that's how Mamacala had mastered it over his long life.

Or perhaps it just came naturally to him. Ridikill didn't know. All he knew was that he was horrified that he was actually following Mamacala's orders. But why?

Mamacala had promised him reward, but that didn't motivate him particularly – he had always craved power simply because he didn't like being dominated, not because of the rewards that came with it. Still, the whispers of reward did stir him.

Despite the recent changes in his life he was still a violent character. He knew that. Even when in Amaryllis' company he sometimes wondered what he was doing and why he wasn't busy punishing some unfortunate wildebeest calf. But was he really vile enough to wish death on such a large scale?

He was frightened of Mamacala. Not only did he feel indebted to him for years of guidance, but those ancient green eyes terrified him. The thought of angering the crocodile to wrath sent shivers up and down his spine. But was he so cowardly and so used to following Mamacala's orders that he'd sentence all of his friends and their families to death?

Or perhaps it was a little of all that drove him to it. He didn't know why he did it. But he did. He played his part as best as he could, furthering a cause that sickened him.

Eventually Shenzi lowered her eyes, accepting defeat. She had thought of every possible explanation for Ridikill's unexpected revelation, and nothing really satisfied her. Of course Ridikill could be lying, but she couldn't figure out why. And in the end, it simply wasn't worth the risk. She'd have to mobilize the clan to defend their new territory. She wouldn't allow the lions to just push them around like this.

"Okay", she said quietly, "We can't risk the lions getting the drop on us. We're gonna mobilize the clan: but able fighters only this time. The old, weak and young stay here".

"That's risky, Shenz", Banzai piped up, "The lions might send some guys around our flank to get to 'em. Pick off the weak, ya know?"

"Yeah. You're right. Good thought", there was no sarcasm in her voice for once, "We'll keep back ten or so fit fighters, and they'll escort the weak ones back to the Graveyard. No sense in taking risks. They'll be safe there. We could hide one hundred in the Graveyard and the lions would never find 'em".

Ed and Banzai nodded in agreement.

"Alright, everyone go spread the word", Shenzi straightened herself up a little, "Let everyone know the details. We meet here in two hours. Clear?"

Banzai and Ed saluted and headed off, but before Ridikill could leave Shenzi gripped him by his broad shoulder with her paw and yanked him around so she was face-to-face with him.

"Listen you", she snarled when they were alone, "I'm going along with this 'sudden lion attack' because I can't risk ignoring it and, goddamn it, it just might be true. I dunno. But…"

"It _is_ true", Ridikill protested.

"Maybe. We'll see, won't we? But if I find out that you're lying, and this is all just you tryin' to set me and Banzai and Ed up for a fall or somethin' so that _you_ can take charge, or any other of your twisted little games…well then, there's no more chances. I'll kill you myself. Got it?"

Ridikill looked into her cold yellow eyes and saw the promise of death in them, every bit as real as Mamacala's own threats. It was something he had only seen once before, on that fateful night when they turned on Scar and devoured him. And now it was directed at him. He realized at that moment that any private ambitions he may have had of overthrowing Shenzi were foolish – he was no match for her ruthlessness when she was pushed to the edge.

"Got it", he managed to mumble.

"Good. Now get out of my sight", she pushed him away, "Start rounding everyone up like I said. Back here in two hours. And if you're not here personally, I'm comin' looking for ya. Right?"

"Right".

She turned away. Ridikill stared at her. The ferocity she had just shown him would perhaps had frightened him under normal circumstances, but now he simply found it interesting. It was difficult to frighten someone who was unwillingly but inevitably bringing about what he thought of as the apocalypse – as far as he was concerned, death would have been a mercy.

The only reason he didn't seek it out actively was because he was, he realized now, at heart a coward.

He was disturbed suddenly by someone approaching. It was Burudi. His lieutenant had his head held high and an almost pleasant look on his face.

"Hey", he said, "Where've you been? I been looking for you. Listen, I been thinking. I…"

"No time for that", Ridikill snapped, playing the part of the 'brutal commander with no time to waste' perfectly again, "We gotta move. Simba and his pride are moving against us. They're trying to destroy us".

Burudi gaped, "…What? Impossible".

"'Fraid not. Now get moving. I got orders from Shenzi to mobilize the clan to meet here in two hours, but the fighting fit only. Got it?"

"But…but…that ain't right. The lions…" Burudi was amazed, "Surely…Amaryllis…she seemed so…"

"Where you think we got this information from?" Ridikill sneered, "Now move it!"

He stormed off to spread the news to the rest of the clan, catching a look of utter despair on Burudi's face as he walked past him. Now the last stage of this awful charade was nearly over. All he had to do was begin rallying his kinsmen, and then when he got the chance he would slip away – Mamacala was expecting his report.

* * *

Pride Rock reverberated with the thunderous roaring of agitated adult lions. On every precipice and in every cave big males barged their way past nervous lionesses and the confused cubs toddling after their mothers. They were all making their way to the very base of Pride Rock, to where King Simba had summoned them.

This was the second time they had answered his summoning roar in the last few weeks, and rumour of why he was calling them spread even as they rushed to him. It had to be something to do with the hyenas, they reasoned. There could think of nothing else.

Simba stood at the centre of the gathering lions. His face was grim and gaunt, and everyone who looked at him was surprised by how old he looked. It wasn't the youthful king they were used to looking at but a fey old warrior lord.

When the last of the pride had assembled, he opened his mouth and spoke slowly, "I have bad news. We've received intelligence that suggests that the hyenas have assembled for a mass assault on Pride Rock. They'll be here by late afternoon".

The reaction of the pride was something Simba was used to by now: roars of outrage, worried whispers, muttered curses, talk of treason. He wasn't in the mood to allow dissent.

"Please remain calm", he boomed, "We have a choice: we either flee before them and abandon the Pride Lands or we make a stand and take the battle to them. What say you?"

There was really no choice at all. Instantly the lions took up the cry of war.

Nala spoke, "All who are fit to fight and willing to do so will leave with us at once. However, as before only those of over two years of age are allowed to join us. The cubs will remain at Pride Rock under the guard of Tenzer".

Tenzer was about to protest at being left behind with the cubs again when he was silenced by a look from Kovu. He decided to accept that it was an honour for Simba to have so much faith in him as to place him in charge of those who remained behind as it was.

"Where did we get this intelligence from?" Haya said suddenly.

"Amaryllis", Simba replied, "As some of you may know, she has a friend in the hyena ranks".

There was some surprised murmuring at this. Everyone glanced about to look at Amaryllis, who was looking straight ahead, all emotion and colour drained from her face.

"How does she…" Maradi began.

"That's not important right now", Simba went on, "The source can be trusted. And what's more, we can't risk not taking action".

"You failed us, Simba!" a voice bellowed.

Everyone looked to see Tumai, snarling furiously, "You let the hyenas into our lands! You said it was worth giving them a chance! And now look what's happened! You've failed us all!"

The drama in his words stirred the pride up, and a few others took up the cry of "You've failed us all". Tumai stepped towards Simba aggressively. He was followed by Salama and Haya. Instantly Nala, Kirara and Kovu bared their teeth and crouched into a defensive posture.

"It's time for a change!" Tumai growled from the bottom of his throat, "You're gone, Simba, and _we'll_ rule! And our first act will be to…"

Simba leapt at him. Tumai, Salama and Haya immediately flinched and scattered. Simba landed in the midst of his startled pride, lips curled back to display his stabbing canines, his eyes ablaze and his claws unsheathed.

"We don't have time for this!" he cried, "Every second we waste, the hyenas advance another step!"

"But", and his expression and voice softened, "I admit, yes, I have failed you all. I have always believed that it's a creature's choices that make him who he is, and not his birth. That is why I believed it was worth giving the hyenas an opportunity to prove themselves to be as varied and as independent as us: not just marauding bandits.

"It seems I was wrong. And we may have to pay a heavy price for my mistake. That's the cost of being King. I hope you're ready for that responsibility, Tumai. Apparently I wasn't.

"We need to go at once, but I won't forget how I have failed you all with my error of judgement. It was a risk I should never have taken. If we find the hyenas have really betrayed us, and we are able to drive them off and survive the battle, then I will renounce my Kingship and exile myself from the Pride Lands".

"Daddy, no!" Kiara yelped. There was astonished gasps and several cries of "No, Simba, no!" from the Pride. Nala looked at Simba, she had suspected he would abdicate from the moment she saw him receive Amaryllis' news. Tumai said nothing: he merely looked shamed.

"We need to go at once", Simba said again, "We don't have any more time for squabbles over leadership. I'll lead you one last time, one way or the other. Tenzer, take the cubs and youngsters back to Pride Rock".

Tenzer nodded and began rounding up the sobbing cubs. Amaryllis nuzzled Amabi one last time before Tenzer led him away.

"Follow me, lions of the Pride Lands!" Simba bellowed, and he marched ahead, his Queen at his side, his heir and her mate behind him, and his willing but fatalistic pride in tow. Each could think of nothing but doom.

* * *

"Master", Ridikill bowed low, nose touching the dirt.

Mamacala regarded him. The eight pythons were slithering over and under each other, draping their long bodies on top of other's and even over Mamacala's back as they writhed around in an obscene fashion. Ridikill supposed it was how snakes looked when excited.

They were several miles south east of the hyena camp, not far from the river, hidden beneath the trunk of a dead acacia tree.

Ridikill said, "Master Mamacala, I have…"

Mamacala interrupted, "You don't need to say what you have done, Ridikill. I know what you've done. It was never in doubt".

_For we knew he would do what's he done._

The pythons seemed to screech it at him as they squirmed around the crocodile, foul heads thrust in his direction.

"Yes Mamacala" Ridikill said, utterly emotionless.

"Then everything is ready", Mamacala gave an almost melancholy sigh, "At last, it's all come to this. Almost seems anti-climatic, to merely work from behind the scenes and have my enemies destroy each other while I lurk in the shadows. They won't ever know who engineered their downfall. Still, the day is young. We may yet see some action".

At this the pythons went into a frenzy and began to thrash around, their tails whipping in the air. Mamacala ignored them. A plover bird suddenly descended from the sky and landed lightly on his nose.

"Ah, Oocheva", Mamacala droned, "Timely as ever. What is your report?"

"It is as the hyena says", the bird squeaked in a horribly high-pitched voice, "His clan are mobilizing. The deed is done and the leaders believed him".

"Excellent. In that case you'd better get back, Ridikill. Don't want to arouse suspicion, eh?"

Ridikill nodded dumbly and picked himself up.

"Remember, you must survive the battle my friend. Flee if you must and return when the fighting is done. I realize that may go against your pugnacious nature but…"

Sudden anger welled up in Ridikill, and he could not repress it completely, "I've just sentenced all my friends to death, Mamacala. I think at this point I'm capable of doing _anything_".

The pythons fell silent and snapped their heads in his direction. Even the little bird stared at him.

Mamacala laughed, and Ridikill was surprised he didn't seem bothered by his insolence, "Oh, are you indeed? Well, perhaps. But I notice you refrain from admitting the truth. What you have done is not merely 'sentencing your friends to death'. No, you've _murdered _them.

"As surely as if you tore out their throats yourself, you've murdered them all. You won't ever forget that. But I assure you: you'll get used to it".

Ridikill was once again helpless in Mamacala's spell: he wasn't even sure he wanted to resist it anymore, "Yes Master. Murder. I understand".

"It's difficult, I know", Mamacala said, and his voice wasn't without sympathy, "It's one thing to hunt, to give into instinct and to do what's necessary to survive. And it's another to strike out in anger at a fellow.

"But to kill in cold-blood, with premeditated conviction, to _murder_, is another matter entirely. The first is always difficult. And I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for you, being a mammal who feels emotions far deeper than us reptiles could comprehend".

"How can I live with myself", Ridikill said, nearly breaking down, "How can I live with what I've done after this is all over?"

"I'll make your life better than you can imagine or even dreamed of", Mamacala said quickly, "So relax yourself, let me take control. Close your eyes, my son. Think of what power you'll have when it's all over. You'll sit at my right claw and be renowned as a lord of the Pride Lands. Power will quickly heal your wounds. The sacrifice of everyone you fear to lose will be worth it. I have raised you and guided you to become the perfect blend of mammalian passion and reptilian cruelty that you are now. _You are ready for this_. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mamacala, I understand", and in that moment Ridikill believed it.

"Then go, quickly", the crocodile said, "Your leaders must not suspect anything. Good luck, my son".

The hyena loped off. Mamacala sighed again.

"Poor wretched creature. His mind must be all but torn apart. But he has the ruthlessness needed for this task, I'm certain. And now to business. Oocheva, to the air. You must go and confirm that Simba is rallying his pride. We will set off immediately for Pride Rock. Find us and report as soon as you have news. Understood?"

"Yes my Lord", Oocheva twittered, then bolted into the air.

"To me, my loyal serpents!" Mamacala bellowed, "To Pride Rock!"

* * *

Ridikill arrived back the hyena rally just in time. The last of the able-bodied fighters were assembling and Shenzi appeared to be looking for him when she spotted him amongst the crowd. She grunted, apparently satisfied that he had been present for the entire gathering.

She took her place on top of a small bank of dirt. Banzai and Ed went to her side. The hyenas, who by now were all aware of the reason for the summon but were still in disbelief, looked at their leaders expectantly.

"Okay, everyone listen up!" Shenzi called, "You all know why we're here. Seems the lions have turned on us and want to wipe us out. They'll be marching here even as we speak".

"But why?" one hyena wondered, "Why did they let us gain entry into the Pride Lands in the first place just to turn on us?"

"Must have been their plan all along", Banzai growled, "Get us to lower our guard, then take out their biggest rivals when we least expect it".

"Maybe", Shenzi said, "But I'm still not convinced Simba wasn't the genuine article. Maybe his stinkin' followers kicked him out and decided to take us out. Who knows. All we do know is the lions are comin' for us and we should be ready to take them on".

"How do we know this anyway?" another hyena barked.

Shenzi nodded in Ridikill's direction, "Y'all know, or at least know of, his lioness pal Amaryllis by now. Well apparently she had a problem with us being wiped out and told him the whole story".

"She could be lying!" the same creature declared.

"Uh-huh. But we can't take the risk, eh? We gotta be ready for them. Now everyone get a move on. We're heading out".

With a great deal of noise and arguing the hyenas began to mobilize. It was a sight rather different from the false-war march the hyenas had embarked on: now it was only willing combatants going and watching them say farewell to their cubs, younger brothers or sisters, or old and weak fathers and mothers was distressing for Ridikill, but he was unable to look away. As he was the one sentencing them to…_murdering_ them, he felt compelled to witness the pain of them all in the midst of their last goodbyes.

Suddenly Shenzi was at his shoulder, "Enjoying the view, buddy?"

He didn't look at her, "Yeah".

"You always were a sick, twisted little bastard", she said with venom, "I noticed the difference in you lately and I kinda hoped your friendship with that lioness would maybe lessen your psycho tendencies a little. Guess that ain't worked, huh? You must be really looking forward to this battle".

"More than you know", it was true, sort of. He just wanted to get it over with.

"Hmm. Remember what I said. If I find out you had a hand in this, you're dead. Got it?"

"Sure. But I'll be honest, you're the least of my worries right now" Ridikill suddenly remembered he had orders from Mamacala to ensure that Shenzi, Banzai and Ed did not survive the battle – how ironic.

Shenzi snarled, "Is that right? Here's the deal then. _You_ and some of your hunting pack will go up front. You guys are gonna scout ahead of the main army and report back as soon as you got confirmation of the lion pride's movement. And I'll make sure I give your pack orders to watch you, make sure you don't run off, and that you get reliable info on the lions. If ya come back with proper intelligence, then I'll believe this story of yours. But until then you're walking a thin line. Understood?"

"Yeah, I get you", he mumbled.

"Good. I'll handpick the guys who're going with you. Wait here".

She walked off through the hustle and bustle of hyenas preparing to leave for battle. Ridikill didn't really give much thought to his scouting mission. It was pretty irrelevant in the scheme of things. It didn't interfere with Mamacala's plan, and all he had to do was confirm the presence of the lion army without getting caught, which wouldn't be too difficult.

But then he saw an opportunity. A chance to perhaps redeem himself a little after his horrible crimes, or at least ensure that _he_ had a happy ending. He realised that it involved disobeying Mamacala, but so be it. This was his one chance to right some of his wrongs.

* * *


	19. Treachery

Author's notes: Hello again all, another update. Soon, I know. I know you're all used to waiting up to a month or more for an update,

YingYangWhiteTiger, glad to see someone noticed the "Not One of Us" lyrics for last chapter :P Well anyway, here we are, enjoy and read and review if you got time. 'Til next time!

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

Zazu soared above the plains, beating his wings steadily as he headed north. He scanned the grasslands below, his keen eyes taking in every detail.

The latest twist in the relationship between lion and hyena in the Pride Lands was almost too much for Zazu to bear. To think that the hyenas had managed to maintain a façade of cordiality, so convincing than even he had begun to believe that hyenas really weren't so different from his lion peers. And now it had all been revealed to be nothing but a trick. It was a cruel world.

However there was a slim chance that they'd been misinformed. Gossip spread quickly and Zazu knew all about the lioness Amaryllis' friendship with the male hyena. Perhaps one or both of them had been lying or been misinformed, although for what purpose he could never guess.

But even as he clutched at this fragile hope, it was shattered. Up ahead he could see dust columns rising as the herds fled from a thick black mass streaming across the Pride Lands. The hornbill flew closer, if only for confirmation, as he knew well what it was.

Yes, there they were. Perhaps one hundred hyenas, the front ranks just passing the Banded Mongoose Den Network. Suddenly several of the front row picked up the pace and bounded on ahead of their marching comrades, covering ground quickly. They headed for the cover of some thicket up ahead. Doubtless a scouting group deployed to scan the plains for any signs of Simba's pride.

After all, Zazu reminded himself, the hyenas weren't expecting resistance. They were attempting to launch a surprise attack, picking off Simba as he arrived at the rendezvous point he had arranged to meet the hyena leaders at. What unspeakable treachery. But that would only be the beginning of their crimes. After that they would wipe Pride Rock clean of lions, old and young alike.

With a shudder Zazu turned about headed back towards Simba. It was his sad duty to report to his King that the information was indeed accurate. Zazu was numb at the thought of anything happening to Simba in the battle. He had never told him but he thought Simba was every inch the equal of his father, the awe inspiring Mufasa. He made a mental note to tell him that before the battle began.

Another tragic note was that even if the lion force could best the hyena clan, which was by no means certain, this would still be his last day in the service of Simba. Now he had confirmation of the presence of the hyenas Simba would abdicate as he had promised after the battle. And what would happen to Zazu then? Would whichever ambitious male took over the pride still want his services? Maybe, but Zazu wouldn't provide them. He served the line of true Kings only.

And now, after reporting the bad news to Simba, it was his duty to return to Pride Rock and, with the assistance of the young lion Tenzer, and Timon and Pumbaa, watch over the cubs come what may, no matter who returned to Pride Rock: heroic defenders or ravaging marauders.

As Zazu headed south, he crossed the path of a plover bird that was darting north with an even greater urgency than himself. He caught a rather odd, self-satisfied look on the bird's face as it darted past. He wondered what on earth was driving the bird to such a speed, and had half a mind to stop the bird and demand an explanation. However, he decided he had bigger priorities and carried on home, not giving it a second thought.

* * *

The march was every bit as miserable for the hyenas as the last one had been. The only difference was that they moved at a quicker pace now that those who weren't fight-worthy were left behind, and fierce hyena chieftains no longer spurred them on with threats and shouts of 'March! March!' Instead something far greater pushed them on: outrage at the treachery of the lions and their urge to defend the clan and their new territory.

Near the front of the army, Shenzi suddenly looked up. She saw a hornbill circling above, certainly Simba's little stooge. So their presence was known. So be it.

"Ridikill! Move out, move out! And don't come back here without reliable info, right?" she barked.

In front of her, Ridikill and his band of scouts immediately charged forward without a backward glance. Apart from Ridikill himself there was Burudi his lieutenant, Sarkil the huntress, Kapungu the bloodthirsty warrior, Babaka the ravenous glutton, Cauron the new mother, Shungi the inexperienced leader and Groco the lowly scumbag.

That made eight in total. Most were members of Ridikill's personal hunting pack. That didn't matter. Shenzi had picked them out for one simple reason: she was looking to catch Ridikill out.

Sarkil loathed Ridikill and couldn't stand his authority over her. It wounded her feminine pride. Likewise Shungi, new to leading her own pack, hated the dog hyena's habit of showing her up for being 'soft' and generally ignoring her authority. Cauron held a grudge against Ridikill for his rough treatment of her during the last march. Shenzi had been surprised to see her come along for the battle instead of staying behind looking after her cubs, but she had insisted that she would rather fight for them than cower in a burrow while others did the fighting for her. The cubs were safer than all of them as it was, on their way back to the Elephant Graveyard.

Babaka cared about little more than food and the acquisition of food – he had been promised great reward. Groco would do anything to increase his status even a little in the clan. And Burudi – well Burudi may once have been almost pals with Ridikill, but they seemed to have drifted apart lately. Shenzi suspected Burudi was jealous of Ridikill's friendship with Amaryllis. Jealous and bitter.

In short, each and every one of these hyenas could be trusted to rat Ridikill out if he stepped even a little out of line or did anything suspicious on their scouting mission. And Kapungu? Well, Kapungu was there in case Ridikill had to be subdued for any reason. While Ridikill was more than a match for any hyena in the clan apart from the leader trio, if any hyena came close to Ridikill's ferocity and strength, it was Kapungu.

All in all, they were the ideal bunch to take down Ridikill if he did anything suspect. And they'd all been briefed by Shenzi on the matter before she had dispatched them.

Shenzi knew that Ridikill really shouldn't be one of her top priorities at that moment with the impending battle with Simba's pride, but she wasn't completely convinced the lions were marching on them at all. Ridikill was up to something, she was sure. Well, the report from the scouting party would confirm or deny that. All she had to do now was wait and see.

But…if the unthinkable was true and the lions were coming to destroy them, then…well, she had a few loose ends to tie up before then.

She looked at Banzai, the scruffy, powerful male who marched by her side, trying to smile and make light of even their darkest hour.

"Hey, Banzai", she said, in quiet tones so they wouldn't be overheard.

"Yeah?" he looked at her.

"Um…" she faltered. It wasn't like her to act rashly. No, prudence should always come first. If this was all some ridiculous power play by Ridikill then it would be terribly inappropriate for her to come out with what she was thinking.

Besides, it was going to be a long march. There was plenty of time to get everything off her chest.

"Oh…nothing", she said. Banzai raised one eyebrow, and then walked on, uncomprehending.

* * *

Halfway through the lion's dismal advance across the Pride Lands Zazu returned. He flew down to land on Simba's shoulder.

"Sire, it's bad news I'm afraid. It's just as Amaryllis' source said: hyenas as far as the eye can see. They're coming this way at a steady pace and it looks like they mean business: this time they've left their weak behind. They'd just sent out a scouting party as I left. They were just passing the Banded Mongoose Den Network".

The pride looked utterly devastated at the news. As much as they hated the hyenas, more and more with every step now, no-one was looking forward to the battle, not even the pugnacious Tumai. There were no illusions as to how serious the upcoming battle was going to be. This was no skirmish where everyone escaped with sore paws and the odd scratch. Lifeblood was going to flow freely today.

Simba inhaled deeply, "Thank you Zazu. Your service to the Pride Lands has been above and beyond the call of duty from your first day of office".

Zazu paused, wavered, then said, "It's been an honour and a privilege, sire. Your rule has been every bit as magnificent as your father's. And for what it's worth", he leaned forward and whispered, "This band of miserable ingrates don't deserve you anyway".

Simba laughed, "Thank you, Zazu. Take care".

The hornbill nodded, then said farewell to Nalu, Kovu and Kiara in turn. With a last, dignified bow he took to the air and was gone.

Nala looked at Simba. Tears were welling in his eyes as he watched Zazu head for Pride Rock. She gingerly stepped closer and nuzzled him. He returned the gesture, and for a moment they stood still, locked together, muzzle to muzzle as the pride walked past. Unashamed of their grief, they sobbed together for as long as they dared, hardly able to believe the turn of recent events. Then with a last quick kiss they steeled themselves and resumed their place at the head of the pride, marching resolutely to their final test.

* * *

It was a tearful hour at Pride Rock. Cubs cried and wailed, and there was little the grieving Timon, Pumbaa and Tenzer could do to comfort them. In the middle of it all a heart-broken young Amabi wondered why his mother was going to have to fight her best friend to the death.

The reason was now not very far from Pride Rock. Mamacala and his ghastly legion of serpents dragged themselves over hill and through undergrowth. They were careful to avoid the direct path where the lions and hyenas were going to cross. It wouldn't do to be caught wandering about the plains in such a suspicious manner.

So the reptiles had skirted around to the west, sticking to the cover of ravines, streams, scrubland and the shadows of hills wherever they could. The going was slow across land as they were not built for consistent speed over ground, but when their path met that of the river or a stream they positively knifed their way across the Pride Lands. In this way they had managed to stay ahead of the hyena army somewhere over the horizon to their east.

Mamacala clambered up a steep hill, his stubby legs scrabbling for leverage as he propelled himself up. The pythons slunk after him. At the crest of the hill they found a magnificent view of the plains before them, and Pride Rock beyond.

"Why do we make ourselves obvious to prying eyes, my Lord?" Kachero asked, "We have done well to lay low so far".

"Because, my loyal Kachero, I am expecting a visit from Oocheva soon and it will be necessary for him to…ah, there we are".

The plover bird suddenly lighted on the very tip of the crocodile's ancient grey snout, "Master, I have excellent news. Simba has led his pride from Pride Rock and is making swift progress north. The two armies should meet by late afternoon, in about three to four hours. What's more, they have indeed left their cubs and juveniles behind at Pride Rock under scant protection".

"Sublime, Oocheva, utterly sublime. You do not fail me", Mamacala croaked.

The wicked little bird inclined his head slightly, "I live to serve you, my Lord".

"Oh, I see. Well, if that's the case then I'm afraid you've nothing left to live for".

Before the startled Oocheva could speak or make a move the crocodile flicked his jaws open and slammed them shut on the tiny creature. Mamacala swallowed the mess of broken bones, pulped flesh and bloody feathers in one quick jerk of his head.

The pythons started, "Master! Oocheva…he served us well", one alarmed individual wailed, "For what reason did you execute him?"

The crocodile did not turn to look at the pythons, "Oh, as I said to him. He'd fulfilled his purpose and from now on would be nothing more than a liability. The less who know of our scheme, the better".

Indoctrinated to his teachings as they were, the snakes accepted this information as if it were wisdom from a god, "Yes my liege! What inspired foresight!"

Kachero swept forward, "Will Ridikill be receiving the same treatment?"

"No, he is far too useful to me. Have no fear: this applies to all of you as well. As long as I continue to find a use for you all".

"We are not worthy of such attention, my Lord!" another python declared.

"Then strive to make yourself worthy", the crocodile shifted slightly and stared directly at Pride Rock. He exhaled softly.

"Ahh, exactly as I anticipated. Pride Rock is undermanned and unprotected; ours for the asking".

One particularly excitable and aggressive python who was having difficulty restraining himself bolted forward, "My Lord, we're surely not going to _ask_ are we? Why not just fight our way into Pride Rock, _butcher_ everyone who resists and _take it by force_?!"

There was a moment of silence.

At last Mamacala said, "Mmm….okay".

He began to laugh a slow, resonant laugh. The pythons joined in, and the hilltop echoed with sinister, maniacal laughter.

* * *

The eight hyena scouts galloped over the Pride Lands. Ridikill lead the way, heading south but at the same time angling west so as to avoid running directly into the lion pride and instead spying on their flank. There was no sign of a single lion yet and they were already many miles ahead of the clan. They'd been running for nearly two hours.

Ridikill wondered where Mamacala was. It occurred to him that he probably should have led them south-east as opposed to south-west so as to avoid any unfortunate encounters with Mamacala. However it was too late to change direction now: to do so would provoke his 'troops' into acting against him.

Oh, Shenzi had been clever, to pick such a band of scouts. They were going to be difficult to escape from. They watched his every move like vultures watching a dying buffalo, and Ridikill had no doubt they had instructions to find out what he was up to.

_If only they knew._

It was too late to help any of his own clan, or the lion pride. If he explained to them how he had become involved in an evil old crocodile's scheme to kill them all they'd rip him limb from limb. He wasn't so noble as to sacrifice his life so that they could all live.

But Amaryllis…Amaryllis would understand. Forgive him. Help him.

His plan was a desperate one. It was impossible to prevent the massacre of both lion and hyena happening now. So he intended to elude his followers. From there he would approach the lion pride and somehow, _somehow_, he repeated to himself urgently, contact Amaryllis. Whether he'd just hang back and howl her name from a distance until she came to him or he charged right up to the lion pride and demanded to see her, he'd talk to her.

He'd explain _everything_ to her. Every last detail, every last hidden secret of his relationship with Mamacala and his role in the grand scheme. She'd understand. She'd forgive him. He knew it. She always did.

Together they would run back to Pride Rock and get her kid, Amabi, if he was so important to her. And from there they would flee the cursed Pride Lands – they'd been nothing but trouble to Ridikill, and Amaryllis wasn't a native anyway. They had no loyalty to these miserable, disputed lands. Mamacala would have no reason to pursue him as he'd done as the crocodile had asked, and had merely not waited around to reap the rewards.

And then – what? Would he and Amaryllis part ways once they'd escaped death at the teeth and claws of each other's species? Or would they search out a new life somewhere, where they could be at peace? They could make their own rules and be free of the silly prejudices of lesser creatures.

It was at that moment that Ridikill realized he had come to depend on Amaryllis utterly, just as he had done with Mamacala in his younger years. In a way it was a similar sort of dependence: both provided support, advice, guidance, a figure to look up to, companionship, a sense of significance, and justification that what he was doing was right.

But the difference was crucial. Mamacala had encouraged him to look out only for himself, to become strong and cruel and wicked. Ridikill had been important because he was stronger than anyone else, and therefore his brutality was justified because the strong ruled the weak and that was the way of the world. And he had been taught to admire Mamacala for being stronger than he.

Amaryllis however had told him that other people mattered just as much as he did, and his ruthlessness didn't make him superior. His bullying of others was wrong, plain and simple. And he was significant because of his own character merits: his uniqueness, his humour, his mental strength, his loyalty, and his previously hidden gentle side. And she had not coaxed him to admire her but he did nonetheless, and for her own character merits: her patience, her understanding, her wit, her playfulness and her gentle wisdom so beyond her years.

Ridikill needed Amaryllis, and he didn't think he'd be able to cope if he lost her friendship. She was too valuable and wonderful a creature to be left behind to die on the field of battle.

Ridikill wouldn't let it happen. He would save her life and preserve her friendship, no matter the cost. Mamacala and Simba and Shenzi, Banzai and Ed be damned!

The thought spurred him on and he picked up the pace. He could sense the focus of his followers sharpen as they watched him more intently and struggled to keep up with him. One wrong move and they'd be all over him.

The wind changed suddenly, blowing up from the south. The hyenas fairly screeched to a halt. There was the distinct scent of lion on the breeze.

"Lions!" Groco yapped, "Can anyone tell how far off?"

"No sorry, my nose hasn't received those sonar upgrades yet", Sarkil sneered.

"Right, right", Groco cowered before the much taller, more powerful and attractive female hyena, "Sorry. Just kinda excited. This is gonna be one hell of a battle huh?"

"Oh, so you believe me now eh?" Ridikill snorted, looking back at his pack darkly.

"Hell no", Shungi snapped, "Not until I see the entire pride lined up and marchin' in the clan's direction. 'Til then you're treated as a hostile".

"Not packing much in the subtlety department today eh?" Babaka laughed, "We were supposed to keep our secondary mission _secret_, remember bush-baby brains?"

"Shut ya trap", the female slapped the lower-ranking male across the face with a paw, "Ridikill here had already figured it out, see? It was kinda obvious".

"Well, whatever", Kapungu growled, "Just remember: one false move and you're mine, Ridikill".

"Is that right?" Ridikill spat deliberately, "We'll see about that".

"That a threat, or a challenge, or what?" Kapungu's mane bristled.

"Call it what ya want. You ain't gonna take me down".

Ridikill glanced around quickly, taking in the scenery; there was a dense patch of thicket up ahead. He would make a break for it in a few seconds. It was now or never: the lions couldn't be too far off and he couldn't risk a pursuit close to the lion pride, not if he wanted the time to contact Amaryllis.

The difficulty in escaping was going to be making it to the thicket. After that he was confident his strength and speed would discourage them from pursuing so recklessly through awkward terrain. But to get to the thicket he'd have to outrun Sarkil and Groco, who weren't capable of holding him back for long but they'd slow him down long enough for the likes of Kapungu and Shungi to tackle him, and from there it would be a losing battle. But he had to chance it.

He was just about to spring and make a break for it when Burudi straightened up and said, "Wait".

The scarred hyena was sniffing the air again. The others followed suit, and then as one whirled about to face the very thicket Ridikill had been planning to escape to. They growled deeply and tensed instinctively.

Three lionesses erupted from the bushes, snapping off and scattering dead twigs as they came. They snarled fiercely as they came at the hyenas.

Ridikill regained control of his instincts, and then stared and gaped in shock. It couldn't be…what were the chances? There on the left was Amaryllis!

He leaped between his slavering band of hyenas and the oncoming lionesses and bellowed, "Stand down! All of you!"

He shouted it with such force that both the hyenas and the surprised lionesses stopped dead. For a moment he waited, allowing instinct and adrenaline to drain from both sides.

Soon Amaryllis gasped and said, "Ridikill? Is that you?"

"Yeah! It's so good to see you! What are the chances, eh?" although he privately wondered if fate had a hand in this meeting.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, stunned.

"I'm scouting for the clan. You?"

"We're scouting too. We were sent out by Simba to…well, find you guys, actually. We were told a scouting group has been sent south west. Who'd have guessed it was you".

"We owe you a debt of gratitude for your information", one of the other lionesses said unexpectedly and Ridikill realized it was Vitani.

Immediately Cauron snapped her head in Ridikill's direction, "What information? What did you tell them?"

Ridikill was about to reply, then paused. He had just realized how delicate a situation he was in.

"Well?"

"Who cares? Why are we even talkin' to these desert cats? Let's waste 'em!" Kapungu yelled.

"Wait!" Shungi ordered, "Don't forget our mission. Let's use this to our advantage".

She took one step towards the lionesses, "Afternoon ladies. Ignoring the fact that we're soon gonna be mortal enemies on the battlefield, I'm gonna ask you to make good on your supposed friendship with dear old Ridikill and ask you to confirm something: is your pride out in force to destroy our clan?"

"We are now", the other lioness, none other than Kiara herself, hissed, "But we've got no choice, since…"

"Enough of this", Ridikill said hurriedly, "Let's…talk about something else, eh?"

He was ignored, although Amaryllis seemed to detect his guilty tones.

"No choice but what?" Burudi cursed, "But to engage in ethnic cleansing?"

"Really now, let's cut this out", Ridikill tried again.

Vitani snorted, "Ethnic cleansing! That's rich, coming from the warmongers who started…"

"Started what?" Shungi demanded to know, "_You're_ the ones who…"

"Look, let's settle this like adults shall we?" Ridikill pleaded urgently.

"We're the ones who _what_?" Kiara said, "Were betrayed by our supposed allies? And now have to fight off a treacherous assault on our very families and…"

"You? Betrayed?" Groco snapped, "No way! You betrayed us! You attacked us first!"

Amaryllis' eyes widened suddenly, "Unless…unless…"

Vitani turned to look at her, "What?" then she suddenly understood too, "…Oh. Right. Unless…"

"Unless the information you were given was false", Shungi said slowly, realization dawning on her.

"And the information_ you_ were given", Kiara murmured.

One by one, everyone looked at Ridikill.

He didn't say anything for a long while, then at last he simply shrugged.

"What the hell?!" Cauron shrieked.

"My God, Ridikill, what are you playing at?" Amaryllis shook her head, disbelieving, "Do you have any idea what you've _done_? If we don't hurry…God, so many lions and hyenas are going to _die_!"

Shungi stepped towards him, "You twisted, backstabbing, murdering…"

"You monster!"

"What the hell is _wrong_ with you?"

"Is this a joke? 'Cos I'm not seeing the funny side!"

"I always knew you weren't to be trusted, but this…"

"Geez Amy, nice choice of friends you got".

"I'm gonna rip off his head!"

"Not if I get my claws into him first!"

"There's plenty for everyone!"

This continued for a while. Ridikill had nothing to do but sit and stare as lion and hyena were briefly united by their hatred of him. It was a sobering experience. Far worse was the wounded expression on Amaryllis' face as she looked at the ground and said nothing.

"Look", Ridikill spoke up eventually, "I know this looks bad, but…"

"'Looks bad'? I'll give you 'looks bad', you scheming…"

"Why not just give me a chance to explain, eh? At least let me do that".

The lionesses and hyenas exchanged glances, then Vitani nodded in his direction.

"It's an interesting story", Ridikill began, "But I'll be brief".

And so he explained as best as he could the entire undertaking he had been involved in. There was no point in lying now – he knew it was too late to stop Mamacala. The massacre was inevitable. They might as well know everything.

So he told them of Mamacala the crocodile and how he had instigated this war, how he had had a hand in it all as Mamacala's agent, of the crocodile's plan to take over Pride Rock by diverting south west to get to Pride Rock and take Pride Rock.

When he had finished the lions and hyenas stared in shocked silence. Amaryllis was inconsolable.

"So", she said slowly, stammering, "Everything was a lie. Your entire friendship with me…just a lie. So you could get close to someone in the pride and spread lies that would be believed. Wipe that grin off your face. It's all been a pack of lies".

"What? No, of course not!" Ridikill was genuinely horrified, "Of course I care about you! I told you – Mamacala was manipulating me from the start. My friendship with you was for real, but he used it to his advantage. I had to do what he said".

"_Why_?" Amaryllis demanded to know.

"Why?" Ridikill shook his head, "None of you have ever met him. None of you _know_ him. He _must_ be obeyed".

"Maybe", Kiara interrupted, "But I'm not going to stand around here and let my family get killed because of one twisted old crocodile and his hyena lackey. I'm going to stop this".

"Oh-ho, is that right?" Ridikill turned to glare at her, "And how do you intend to achieve that?"

"We need to get word to them that this was all rigged", Shungi said. All thoughts of hostility between the two scouting groups had evaporated completely.

"Right. Who's your fastest runner?" Sarkil asked.

"That'd be me", Kiara answered, and she was right, "I'll run as fast as I can and tell them everything before it's too late".

"You'll never make it in time", Ridikill pointed out, "They gotta be thirty miles east of us, and they're closing the gap between them fast. They'll meet in about two hours or so, I imagine".

"Less than that", Vitani said, "The pride had just picked up the pace as we left. And Zazu reported your location to us and your speed. I make it one hour".

"No choice", Kiara was already turning away, "Even if I arrive too late to stop the battle beginning maybe I can end it before things get too bad. Every second counts".

She bounded away. She was fast but, Vitani thought privately as she weighed up the distances and time, not fast enough.

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Groco asked.

"Well, I don't know about you guys", Amaryllis said, "But we can't let this…Mamacala get to Pride Rock, if he's going to hold our cubs hostage", she looked at Vitani, "We need to go stop him".

Vitani nodded, "Right".

"We're coming with you", Shungi declared.

Vitani and Amaryllis looked at the hyenas.

"Why? This isn't your fight", Vitani said.

"Hell yeah it is. This Mamacala has been manipulating us all from day one, using his little worm", Shungi gestured at Ridikill, "We're not gonna let him get away with it".

"You should wait for backup", Amaryllis objected.

"If it ever comes", Burudi snorted, "Either way, we're taking that croc down. Now we've got no quarrel with you, and we've sent word out to the clan to stop the battle, there's not a lot we can do. Except help you guys bring in that fat old croc".

The hyenas all nodded in agreement. Except one.

Ridikill laughed loudly and callously, "Idiots! 'Fat old croc'? You have no idea what you're all talking about. It's too late to stop the battle and you can't bring Mamacala to justice. Just give it up".

"Then why did you tell us everything? Why did you confess?" Vitani snapped.

"'Cos I got my _own _plan now, and it doesn't involve either running off to stop the clan and the pride murdering each other or trying to tackle Mamacala himself. I'm here for one thing only".

"What's that?" Babaka wondered.

Ridikill looked Amaryllis in the eye, "You".

"Me?" she said slowly.

"Yeah, you. You other guys can do whatever you want, but I'm getting out of the Pride Lands. Whatever happens, it ain't gonna be good for either lions or hyenas. And I want you, Amy, to come with me".

"What? Why?"

"Because you're my friend", Ridikill replied, "And I don't want you to rot here. So here's the plan. We run south, taking a detour to make sure we don't run into Mamacala. If we hurry we can still get there before him. Then we get Amabi and run south out of the borders. We'll be…"

There was a sharp, painful crack and Ridikill felt his head being jarred to one side awkwardly, then he was rolling backwards, over and over, to land in a heap some distance away. He looked up, disorientated and bewildered. His vision cleared and he realized to his astonishment that Amaryllis had _hit_him.

Amaryllis' shoulders heaved with suppressed sobs and tears trickled down her face, but somehow she still managed to look furious rather than upset.

"You bastard!" she screamed, "Do you know what you're saying? Don't you see what you've done?"

Ridikill did not stand up, "I…I don't…"

She stepped towards him; Vitani and the hyenas moved out of her way hurriedly, "You…you…how could you? I thought you'd changed, I really did. I thought you'd realized you weren't the only important creature on this planet!"

"I…I do!" Ridikill protested, "Of course I do! Of course I've changed! That's why I want you and Amabi to get out of here as well! I…"

Amaryllis loomed over him and for a moment it looked like she was going to strike him again, but she didn't, "You haven't changed at all! You're trying to save me because that's what _you_ want. You're still as selfish as ever!"

"But…"

"You've got a responsibility!" she screeched at him, "You may have just condemned every last lion and hyena in the Pride Lands to death, and all you care about is how _you_ come out of it? You…you maggot!"

She went on, "If you can be so cruel or so thoughtless as to do what you've done, and then realize you've made a mistake and try to put things right, I can forgive you. But…but to do what you've done and to not care, to not want to help anyone but yourself…well, if that's how your mind really works, I can't forgive you".

They looked at each other, and in that moment the fragile bond between them that had seemed so strong snapped.

Ridikill rose to his feet, roaring, "Alright! Have it your way, fool! You go to your death! I see Mamacala was right after all! Only the strong will survive! So be it. I'm getting out of here".

Amaryllis didn't reply but looked defiantly at him.

"I'm getting out of here", he repeated, "And it looks like I go alone".

They both realized at the same moment that despite how much time they had spent with each other, how much they had enjoyed each other's company, how much they had laughed together, how much they had stoop up for each other, how much they had helped each other, how much they had changed each other; they were still very different. At Amaryllis' core beat the heart of a kind soul, and at Ridikill's core beat the heart of a selfish thug.

"You sick little creep", someone said unexpectedly, and Ridikill tore his eyes away from Amaryllis to see it was, to his shock, Burudi.

"Shut up, you…"

"No, _you_ shut up for once!" Burudi growled, "I'm sick of your trash! The lioness is right. You're nothing but a coward who doesn't have the guts to take responsibility for his actions! To think I once cared about what you thought of me, to think I once wanted to be your friend!"

Ridikill didn't answer.

Burudi continued, "This is your last chance, because we don't got time to waste on you! Are you coming with us to stop the crocodile, or are you gonna follow Kiara and make sure her message makes it safely?"

Ridikill laughed a bitter, mocking laugh, "Oh my, what a choice! Shall I go and tell what's left of a bloodied hyena clan and lion pride that all the deaths are _my_ fault?

"Or shall I go and fight Mamacala and his python pals? You don't understand yet, but you will. A fight with Mamacala's a fight to the end; and it _will be your end_. But by the time you realize that it'll be too late.

"Or, one last choice, shall I get out of here and turn my back on the weaklings who've given me nothing but trouble since day one? Shall I get out of these miserable Pride Lands and live my life somewhere far from here? And far from all of _you_!

He spat, then looked at them all, one after the other, his eyes finally resting on Amaryllis, and he grimaced and snarled, "See you in hell!" he turned west and ran.


	20. Never Smile at a Crocodile

Author's note: Hello again all. I'm sorry it's been 3 weeks before I got this chapter up, a stark contrast to my recent updates. Thank you all for your patience and your reviews. Hope you like this (very significant) chapter. Leave a review if you get chance. Many thanks!

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

_Never smile at a crocodile_

_No you can't get friendly with a crocodile_

_Don't be taken in by his welcome grin_

_He's imagining how well you'd fit within his skin_

_Never smile at a crocodile_

_Never dip your hat and stop to talk awhile_

_Never run, walk away, say good-night, not good-day,_

_Clear the aisle but never smile at Mr Crocodile!_

* * *

The band of would-be defenders headed south-east in silence. They were an unlikely group. Vitani, a powerful and savage lioness of the royal family. Amaryllis, a hunting party scout of Simba's pride. Shungi, rookie leader of a pack in the hyena clan. Cauron, a new mother. Babaka the glutton. Kapungu, a violent hyena with a foul temper. Sarkil, the self-interested cynic. Burudi, the loyal lieutenant. And Groco the coward and paw-licker.

It was he who broke the silence, "Does anyone else think this is crazy?"

To his surprise, not only was he not ignored, but everyone stopped and looked at him.

"Yeah, a little", Vitani said.

"Right. Okay", Groco licked his lips uneasily, "I mean, we are off to try and stop a crocodile and a bunch of snakes, apparently, from holding a bunch of lion cubs at Pride Rock hostage, hostages that they'd use to take control over the Pride Lands. Does anyone else find this a little…odd?"

Everyone nodded.

"'Specially since, technically, this ain't our fight", Groco jerked his head in the direction of the two lionesses, "It's _theirs_. So we got every right to ditch this and get out of here, right?"

"Yup", Shungi said, "You're free to go if you want to, Groco. We won't blame ya. But personally I think we should give this scheming croc his just desserts".

The group went on their way. Groco watched them for a moment, then took a deep breath and hurried to catch up.

* * *

Kiara sprinted across the Pride Lands with a speed she had never known she was capable of. The savannah and its herds seemed to flash past her as she powered her way west.

Soon her lungs began to burn and her legs ached. It was a sensation all too familiar – fatigue. And how long had she been running? Probably only a few minutes.

Who knew how many miles it was to the pride? She didn't have a clue. There was no sign on the horizon of either the pride or the hyena clan. All she could do was aim in vaguely the right direction and hope she'd spot them.

Although she was foremost thinking of the deadly threat to her kin and to the Pride Lands itself, part of her was glad that the hyenas were an innocent party in this affair, duped just as much as the lions had been. Not only was it comforting to know this meant they'd listen to reason when she arrived with her news, it also meant the hyenas might just have a future in the Pride Lands after all.

After all, her Dad had been right about them all along. Even she had secretly doubted his faith in the basic decency of all creatures. With the exception of one individual, however, the hyenas had turned out to be utterly innocent.

But she still had to make it in time to stop the fight, or it would all be for nothing. The idea that hundreds of lives now depended on her chilled her to the core, but she blocked it out and did the only thing she could do: she ran.

* * *

"So…what do we do now?" Babaka asked.

The small group of lionesses and hyenas had come to a gorge known as Backbone Gorge. They stood on the lip of the left cliff, looking down some twenty feet of rugged rocky bank.

"We go down", Burudi said, "Ridikill said Mamacala was going south east. We ain't seen no sign of him. But this place is the obvious route for him".

"How come?" Cauron looked at him.

"Because the river leads right to the gorge entrance some miles to the north", Vitani explained, "And Ridikill mentioned Mamacala would stick to the rivers wherever possible, and that he'd lie low as much as he could. This gorge runs right along to within about four miles of Pride Rock to the south, so it's fair to assume he'll come this way. It providers cover from anyone on lookout, you see".

"Except us".

"Right".

With that the group picked their way carefully down the rock slope until they were assembled on the pebble floor of the gorge. Amaryllis looked around.

"Well, which way?" she wondered, "Is he ahead of us or behind of us?

"We'll look for the trail", Shungi said, "Everyone start looking. We'll follow it and…"

Sarkil cleared her throat, "One problem. Does anyone have any idea what a trail made by a crocodile and a bunch of snakes _looks _like?"

No one answered.

The hyena shook her head, "I thought not. Plus this hard ground's no good for tracking. So what exactly are our chances of finding them? Pretty minute, I'd say".

"Ridikill would know where to look for them", Babaka grumbled.

"Yeah well, that scumbag's not here", snarled Kapungu, "We don't need 'im anyway. We'll find them by scent".

"Great idea, genius", Sarkil sneered, "So what's a croc smell like? Or a python? Let's face it, what do _any_ of us know about reptiles?"

"Well then, we'd better head south", Vitani said, "If Mamacala's ahead of us we can't risk going the wrong way, and if he's behind us we can just double back when we get to Pride Rock".

"I say we go north", Shungi countered, "Go as far as the river and if he's not there we double back".

"No way", Amaryllis shook her head, "I won't risk giving Mamacala a chance to get to Pride Rock, not while my son is…oh my God!"

Everyone started and looked at what Amaryllis was staring at with slack-jawed horror. Forty yards down the gorge to the north, and twenty feet above them, was a branch or an old tree root thrust out from the cliff face.

Coiled around it was a massive python. It was staring at them intently with its brown eyes, but when they all looked at it, it jerked back and flung its jaws open wide in a threat display.

The lions and hyenas stared up at the serpent, and it glared down at them, hissing. Then it turned away and hurriedly crawled along the cliff edge, heading back north.

The group watched it go, out of reach and unassailable.

Finally Cauron said, "Guess we go north".

Vitani nodded slowly, "Looks like it".

They went on in silence. The canyon walls grew gradually steeper and taller until they were looming forty feet over their heads on either side. Vitani found herself examining the gorge walls closely, looking for any exits that led to ground level that they might have to retreat to in an emergency. There were precious few.

The trepidation was growing worse with every step north. The group slowed down dramatically whenever they approached a corner they couldn't see around and advanced at a creep, fearing an ambush. They had no idea why they were so nervous, as they knew little of the crocodile, but in truth they had seen the fear in Ridikill's eyes and heard it in his voice, and they all knew how hard it was to daunt Ridikill. That didn't bode well.

Half an hour of travelling later Shungi spoke up, "No sign of 'em. Maybe they turned back and gave up".

They had come to a widening in the gorge. Up ahead the gorge was broader than before, almost one hundred feet across. This went on for as far as they could see up ahead. There was no sign of Mamacala. It seemed as appropriate a place to stop as any.

Amaryllis furrowed her brow, "I don't think he's turned back. Why would he just give up when he's so close to his goal?"

"Maybe that python told 'im we was coming and he decided to call it a day", Groco reared up and thrust out his scruffy chest like a pigeon, "Maybe the croc's all bark and no bite after all".

"Maybe", Vitani sounded half-convinced.

"Or maybe he just changed his route", Kapungu grunted.

Sarkil laughed suddenly, something that seemed very inappropriate in their current situation, "This is stupid", she snorted, "What do we know about this crocodile and his python pals? Nothing, that's what. We don't know where they are. We don't know how to find them. We don't know how they think. And what's more, we don't know how to fight them".

"Shut up", Vitani snapped quickly. She was determined that the band of defenders would not lose confidence, "Sure we know how to fight them".

"Oh yeah? How?"

"Well…you grab the pythons by the tail", Vitani tried to visualize and analyze the python they had seen, "You hold on tight 'cos they can't twist around that far and grab you by there. And then…"

"Actually, you grab them by the neck", someone said.

The group turned around. Standing behind them, just a few meters away, was Ridikill.

"Yeah, you grab them by the neck", Ridikill went on, "Bite down and hold on until you sever the spinal column. If you get them by the tail they'll just thrash around and twist about and get you. Just a theory, mind. From my observations of the pythons. Have yet to put it into practice".

"Thanks for the tip", Vitani said through clenched teeth, "Now what the hell are you doing here?"

Ridikill didn't answer right away.

Amaryllis spoke first, "He's come back to help us fight. Haven't you Ridikill?"

"Yeah. Yeah that's right. I turned back and followed you guys down here. So I could fight with you", he replied.

"Not a chance, traitor", Shungi bared her teeth and scowled.

"Try and stop me", Ridikill said, "I'm going to face Mamacala or die trying".

"Then you die", Kapungu answered. "It ain't happening".

"What's the matter, Ridikill? Thought you were too _scared_ to fight Mamacala", Groco sneered, "Too _frightened_. All that tough-guy talk, and you're just a little wimp. Too frightened to fight! Hah!"

"Frightened?" Ridikill roared, and for a moment he appeared to be his old self, angrily refuting any sign of weakness, but then he said, "Frightened? Yes, I'm frightened. Of course I'm frightened of Mamacala. And so should you be. You don't know what you're dealing with".

"And you do", Kapungu spat, "'Cos you _work _for him. We ain't gonna let you fight with us. You're probably spying on us or somethin' for the croc. You'll turn on us the moment we…"

"I ain't working for Mamacala", Ridikill barked, "Not any more. I'm…" he swallowed hard, "I'm sorry".

It was obvious to everyone watching that he struggled to say those words.

"I'm sorry I started this whole thing and I'm sorry I let you down by running away", the last comment was directed at Amaryllis, "I know you can't forgive me for what I've done so I ain't gonna ask you to try. I've endangered the lives of all of you and those you care about. I deserve to die.

"But before I do I want to pay Mamacala back for…for what he's done to me. And I hope to at least begin to pay for what I've done to all of you. So I'm gonna fight Mamacala, no matter what. If you won't have me with you, I'm gonna follow you and join in the battle anyway".

Everyone looked at Ridikill. He seemed transformed. Outwardly he looked exactly the same, barbaric and villainous but his manner of speaking was quite unlike anything they'd heard from him before. He was struggling with his words a little, as if he had to force them out, but he seemed determined to say them, and Amaryllis wondered if she saw the trace of a tear in the corner of his right eye.

To everyone's surprise it was Groco who first said, "I say we take him with us".

Several of the group began to nod.

Shungi said, "Alright, we take him, but only 'cos we could use a little more info about the croc and his snake pals".

"Fine by me", Ridikill replied, "Like I said, I ain't asking no one to forgive me, but…"

"I forgive you", Amaryllis said.

He looked at her, "What?"

"I forgive you".

He looked amazed, then almost angry, "You forgive me? How?! That's impossible. After everything I've done to you! I lied, I manipulated, I was a coward, I've done…awful things. Things that could mean the end of you and everything you love. How the hell can you forgive me, Amy? How the hell can you forgive me?!"

She took a deep breath, "I know how much you struggle with your old self, Ridikill. How hard you find it to express your feelings, how you're frightened of being seen as weak by anyone else, how you use your anger to mask any weakness, and also how you feel you owe Mamacala allegiance. But I know you'll make the right choices, because…"

"Save it", Vitani whispered fiercely, "Look".

They turned to look ahead. Seven massive pythons were crawling towards them, the upper third of their bodies raised and their heads rigidly looking in their direction, unflinching. They were about three hundred yards away.

Behind and in the middle of them came Mamacala. As the reptiles drew closer, Ridikill heard many of his companions gasp. They had had so little contact with crocodiles of any sort, let alone one so terrifying as Mamacala.

And he was truly terrible to look at. His armour-plated hide, studded and keeled and crested, was bleached a dull grey by the sun's intense afternoon rays, and his white scars were all too clearly outlined all over his body. The long, powerful tail dragged in the dirt behind him, creating a small cloud of dust above and about him. His clawed feet moved him on at a slow, relaxed pace. Even from a distance the lions and hyenas could clearly see the points of his yellow teeth overhanging his gracefully fluted lower jaw, and his beady green eyes glimmering faintly in his armoured head.

"So,_ this_ is Mamacala eh?" Amaryllis said to Ridikill quietly. He didn't answer. She looked at him. His jaw was open and his eyes were wide. He was trembling uncontrollably.

Dreadful silence swallowed up the group as they saw the perpetrator of the awful chain of events that still threatened to wipe them all out draw near. He was about two hundred yards away when Burudi spoke.

"Go closer".

"Huh…what?" Vitani mumbled, spellbound by the nemesis.

"We gotta move up closer. We can't fight them near this confined space", Burudi gestured in the direction they had come from, "We need to take them out there in the open".

It made sense, but it took a very long time for the first of the group to step forward and lead the way to meet the enemy. It was Amaryllis who made the first move. Both sides advanced on each other.

Soon they were one hundred yards away. Then fifty. Then twenty. Then ten. And then both groups halted in their tracks. Mammal and reptile looked one another in the eye.

The pythons parted their sinuous bodies to make room for Mamacala to shuffle his way forward, but they never took their expressionless eyes off the lions and hyenas. The crocodile walked forward, then his legs bent underneath him and he rested on his belly. In this position the lionesses and even the hyenas were far taller than him, but he didn't seem bothered.

"Well, here we all are", he rasped, "Here we all are indeed".

No one replied.

"Whoever _we_ are", Mamacala went on, "As I'm sure you know I received news of your movement against me thanks to one of my loyal servants", he idly flicked the tip of his tail in the direction of one of the pythons, who positively wriggled with pride, "For I've little doubt you _are_ moving against me. Am I right?"

The answer was a long time in coming. The pythons silently stared at the lions and hyenas, unflinching and unresponsive. At last Vitani managed to muster up the bottle to talk.

"Mamacala", she said, "Listen carefully because this is the only time you'll receive this offer. In the name of King Simba and with the authority of a member of the Royal Family, I'm placing you under arrest. I'm offering you the chance to come quietly".

She expected a booming laugh or a sarcastic snort in reply. Instead Mamacala seemed to take the matter seriously.

"Under arrest eh? What for? For treason? For attempted murder? Attempted regicide? Attempted _genocide_?"

Slightly flabbergasted, Vitani managed to reply, "For…yeah, for all of that".

"You know, it won't be so easy to bring me down", the crocodile murmured.

The two lionesses and the hyenas tensed. Surely now the great reptile would attack.

"You see, I'm a respected representative of my species at Simba's council", Mamacala explained, "Bringing a respected individual such as myself to justice will be problematic. Who will testify against me? Who would believe that I engineered this war myself? It's a rather tall story".

"We have witnesses", Shungi pointed out.

"Oh of course you do. My loyal follower Ridikill", the crocodile angled his head slightly to peer at Ridikill, "My scout did not report that he was present with this little band of…law enforcement amateurs, so perhaps he has joined you at a later moment eh? Had a change of heart, my dear Ridikill? An attack of conscience?"

Ridikill was still trembling like a leaf. He made no attempt to reply or even look up at his former mentor.

"May I remind you that I assigned you to accompany your clan leaders into battle, and ensure that they did not survive?" Mamacala said casually, "So what are you doing so far away, eh? Let me guess. You became worried about doing the right thing, became wracked by pangs of guilt, and decided to lead a band of your closest comrades and your little lioness friends away from the danger? But they convinced you otherwise, to try and stop me from achieving my goal? And you listened to them, because you are so suggestible when your confidence is shaken, and now here you all are, in the nick of time, or so it would seem".

There was no answer.

Mamacala sighed, "Oh Ridikill, I am so disappointed to see you here. I could sense you were struggling with the enormity of the situation, but I thought I knew where your loyalties lied. After all my years of gentle guidance and…"

"And _manipulation_", Amaryllis said fiercely, "And _using_ him like a _pawn_!"

"Hmm?" the crocodile's eyes locked onto her, "Oh. So _you're_ Amaryllis eh? The lioness who so simply lured Ridikill away from his years of strength and solitude and indoctrinated him into _conforming_ with a normal social life? What a waste. What an awful waste.

"Do you have any idea how much work went into creating this little paragon of ruthlessness and passion? It wasn't easy, you know. He was so young and so helpless when I found him. Afraid and alone…and yet so eager for guidance, even if it went against what his mother had always taught him was right. You should listen well, Ridikill, because you may not remember all this yourself.

"After your mother suffered her accident, Ridikill, I gave you the guidance you so desperately needed. I raised you to hate weakness and to drive all such frailties from your soul. You didn't need to think: I did that for you. I made you what you are. I'm practically your _father_. And yet this is how you repay me? You turn on me, and for what? For this lioness? For a friend?

"My dear hyena, friends are fleeting. They come and go quicker than the rains. You think this lioness will want to be your friend forever? One day she will move on, leave these lands, find a mate, have cubs, settle down, grow old. Do you honestly believe you will still be a part of her life then? This is what you betray me for, lay your life down for?"

"I…" Ridikill stuttered and he still did not look at Mamacala, "I may not be able to be by her side forever, but what I will see, I wouldn't miss for the world".

Amaryllis looked at him, amazed and touched, and tried to reassure him that she'd never abandon him, but Mamacala spoke first, "How eloquent. But short-sighted. Oh Ridikill, what happened to you? I encouraged your friendship with this lioness so you could instigate this war, not so that you'd become as weak as her. I gave you your goals. What on earth happened?

"Ahh, but we _know_ what happened, don't we?" he looked at Amaryllis, "_You_ happened. You swooped in and gave Ridikill something precious. You gave my little protégé something he'd never had before: a real friendship. A taste of genuine tenderness and selfless concern for his well-being despite his horridness; you saw something underneath his shell of strength. How disgustingly sweet.

"But I warn you all not to underestimate Ridikill. So you've let him back into your ranks after all he's done to you? What makes you so certain he wouldn't do it all again, eh? He obeys _me_, don't you Ridikill? Whether he likes it or not. Look at me, Ridikill. Look at me!"

Slowly, irresistibly, Ridikill raised his shamed head and looked at Mamacala with haunted eyes.

"Come closer, child".

The hyena stepped towards him.

"Ridikill, no!" Amaryllis cried, "You don't have to listen to him anymore! You don't owe him anything! And you don't have to fear him! We'll protect you and fight for you".

"Oh, you truly have no comprehension of how utterly I own this creature's very soul", Mamacala cooed; Amaryllis glared at him furiously, "Still, I'll give you a little credit. Your little friendship almost prevented me from claiming my prize".

"Not _almost_", Amaryllis snarled, growing angrier and angrier with each passing second, "_Has_. You've lost".

"I think not", Mamacala's stone-hard face had not changed expression, and his eyes were cold as ever, "It won't be so easy to take me into custody. Do you think these scars are for decoration?"

"I don't believe you're half as tough as you make others think", Amaryllis hissed, "You…you monster. You're too afraid to fight for yourself. So you get your servants to do your dirty work for you. Like the pythons and Ridikill. You…you use them as _puppets_!"

"Oh! Ho ho ho!" Mamacala boomed a short laugh, "I _like _that. Puppets eh? That would make me…the puppet master? I _like _it. Oh yes, I like it. Has a nice ring to it. Hahaha! 'Step right up, step right up! Come one, come all! Come and see the master of the puppets, the puppeteer! Watch as he amazes you with what he makes the puppets do! Come one, come all! No strings attached!' Ho ho ho!"

"You're…insane…" Vitani stared with a mixture of wonder and terror.

"So they say!" Mamacala laughed heartily, sending shudders down the spines of the mammals, but then he calmed down swiftly, "But don't you understand? You're _all _my puppets. You've all been played. You are the puppets, I pull your strings, I make you move, I'm the Master, causing you to do what you do. But you, Ridikill, _especially_. _You_…you see what I want you to see and you turn into whatever I want you to be, whatever that may be, enemy or ally".

He stared down his shocked and horrified audience, "But don't assume puppeteering is my only talent. I could lay you all low without difficulty myself. But I'm feeling generous today, not to mention I'm in a bit of a rush. I have business at Pride Rock. So, I'm going to make you a one-time offer: stand aside, withdraw and I'll let you all live. You decide, and decide quickly".

"With_draw_?" Groco said incredulously, surprising everyone, "You twisted old fool. What do you think we're here for? You'll get to Pride Rock over our dead bodies. Not before".

"So be it. Time to pull some strings, eh? Be warned though: the snake strikes faster than the eye can chase it", Mamacala took a few steps back, "What a shame"; he looked at his python followers, "To me, my loyal serpents! Do as your Master bids!"

There was a frenzied screech from the seven giant snakes, and then they bolted forward. In a split second, battle was finally joined.

The assault of the pythons took the lions and hyenas by surprise. The speed at which the snakes struck out at them was horrifying. Vitani, Ridikill, Groco and Sarkil managed to leap out of the way in time.

The rest however, felt for the first time in their lives what is was like to be the rodent who is captured by the viper. Each hyena was seized by a set of horrible python jaws in a blur of motion far too fast to follow, Amaryllis too. Hooked teeth dug into fur and skin like a vice, and then with a quick flex of body muscles the helpless prey was suddenly drawn towards the suffocating coils.

One python was still unengaged. It hissed in a horrible voice and then approached the aghast Ridikill, Vitani, Groco and Sarkil.

"Oh God…" Groco murmured, looking the python in its murderous eyes.

Ridikill however was transformed now that he was no longer under Mamacala's scrutiny, "Don't be afraid! Nail him! Go for the head and neck! We need to get the others free!"

Amaryllis and the other hyenas struggled furiously as silky smooth bodies rippling with bone-breaking muscles curled around them gently.

The seventh python slid forward, mouth open wide. It was a fearsome sight. Vitani, Groco and Sarkil stared helplessly for a moment. With an angry growl, Ridikill lunged at it. The python struck out, but Ridikill dodged just out of range and, while the python was drawing itself back for a second strike, he pounced towards it and snapped his own pair of deadly jaws.

His aim was good but the python slipped aside at the last second, and so instead of tearing the vulnerable throat out he instead gripped the snake by the body. The python reared up and struck, fastening its teeth into Ridikill's shoulder in return.

But before it could coil around him Vitani charged forward and sank her fangs into the snake's body. Her teeth plunged past the tough hide and she tasted blood. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her enemy let go of Ridikill and loom above her. But as it dived towards her she released her grip and pounced at the small head, paws and claws extended. She caught the python by the neck with her claws and tackled it to the floor with her momentum. The throat of the squirming creature was pinned before her. As it lashed her with its tail and body she tore into it.

The python didn't stop thrashing but she knew it was dead: she'd once heard from a secretary bird that dead snakes could go on wriggling for quite some time, and the injury she'd inflicted was too sever for any creature to survive.

Sarkil and Groco watched in amazement as the giant python died before their very eyes. Ridikill picked himself up. He was bleeding from an ugly wound on the shoulder.

"Thanks", he gasped, nodding in the direction of Vitani.

"No problem. You're injured".

Ridikill ignored the last remark, "Come on, we gotta get 'em off the others. Sarkil, Groco! Come on!"

Sarkil and Groco seemed to wake up from their stupor. The lioness and the three hyenas leapt towards their friends. As they did Vitani looked past the skirmish to see where Mamacala was and whether or not he was advancing or retreating.

He was gone.

But she had no time to worry about it now. Amaryllis had managed to wrench herself free of her assailant. She swatted at it with her paw and dealt a glancing blow to its head. The stunned python violently jerked away from her, and as it did a length of its tail whipped through the air and nearly cracked Vitani across the face.

Ridikill had already seized one python in between his teeth and was tugging furiously, trying to free Burudi. Groco was doing much the same to the snake holding Cauron, and Sarkil was trying to rescue Babaka. They were having limited success.

Amaryllis gasped for air, winded and badly shaken by the grip of the constrictor. She managed to collect enough wit to slap back at her attacker as it swept towards her again. It dodged. She swung with her paws repeatedly: this time she landed a powerful crack to the skull. The dazed python slumped to the floor. Amaryllis forgot about it and turned her attention to the snake still trying to wrap its length around Shungi.

The gorge became a hellish cacophony of hissing pythons, yelling hyenas and roaring lionesses. Mamacala's snakes whirled and thrashed about, lightning fast and incredibly strong. When part of their lithe bodies struck one of the lionesses or the hyenas, either with intent or by chance, it knocked the unfortunate victim flying. The lionesses and hyenas, on the other hand, darted back and forth between the pythons, freeing their comrades, sometimes by yanking the snake off or otherwise pulling the hyena from between the suffocating coils.

When at last everyone was free, the six remaining pythons twisted to face their opponents and hissed menacingly. The mammals snarled back at them.

"We need to retreat", Ridikill bellowed, "Everyone follow me!"

He turned about and galloped back south. Surprised, the rest blindly followed suit just as the snakes attacked. But fast as the serpents were to strike, they were slow in a straight pursuit. They watched their quarry disappear from view.

"After them! For Lord Mamacala!" Kachero wailed, and his followers bolted down the gorge as fast as they could.

Not far ahead, the lionesses and hyenas were still running.

"Mind telling us _why_ we're retreating?" Babaka demanded to know.

"Shut up! Keep going!" was Ridikill's only reply.

They went on. After quarter of a mile more Ridikill halted suddenly.

"Alright, this is far enough. It'll take them a few minutes to catch up", he turned to the others, "Look, we need to talk strategy and I don't want _them_…" he jerked his head back in the direction they had come from, "…to hear it. Did anyone see where Mamacala went?"

Everyone shook their head no.

"So you noticed that too", Vitani murmured, "He just disappeared. One moment he was there, the next he was gone. He vanished".

"Nonsense", Ridikill scorned, "He can move quick when he wants to. He just scrambled away, that's all".

"Shoot", Shungi spat; a loose tooth and a few drops of blood sprayed onto the rock floor, "He must have given us the slip. Gone round. On his way to Pride Rock right now".

"That's what I figured", Ridikill nodded, "If he's en route, he's our priority. Screw the snakes. We need to go after him _now_".

"No way", Cauron argued, "We deal with this one problem at a time. Take out the snakes first, then go get him. We don't know where he is. We'd be wasting our time looking for him now, and time is something we don't got on our side".

"Why don't we split up?" Groco suggested, "Half of us stay here and take on the snakes when they get here, and the other half go after Mamacala".

"Hell no", Ridikill snorted, "I don't think we can stop Mamacala, but I _do_ think if we're going to have any chance of it we're going to need everything all of us has. If we split up we're weakened. Come on, you guys have seen him for yourselves now. Anyone really want to take him on with just four or five of us there?"

"I guess you're right", Vitani said, "But if we go for Mamacala now, well, like Cauron said, we don't know where he is. We'd be looking for a needle in a haystack. And if we run away from the pythons now, we'll lose track of them too. We need to stay in control here".

"So…we deal with the pythons first?" Amaryllis guessed, "Take them on here and now, and quickly, and then go after Mamacala. Since he's not fast on the march, we should overtake him before he gets to Pride Rock. Right?"

"Right", Vitani said, "Anyone disagree?"

The hyenas all, one after the other, shook their heads. Ridikill shrugged and said, "Yeah, sounds like our best option, I s'pose".

"Good", Vitani turned to face back north, "Now…"

The six remaining giant pythons were darting towards them, jaws agape and tails whipping and flailing about madly.

Kachero reared up ten feet of his length, looming over the startled mammals, and bellowed, "The Master will not be denied!"

Before the misfit band of hunters could defend themselves, the pythons were upon them.


	21. Zeal

Author's notes: Hi again all. And once more, sorry for the long delay in the update. I have no excuse apart from being horrendously busy. And suffering from writer's block.

I'm glad a few of you enjoyed the "Never Smile at a Crocodile" song inclusion. I think using it with Mamacala gives it an incredibly creepy edge, so I figured it was worth doing. So anyway, enjoy and please leave a review if you get the chance.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

Kachero the python crashed down on his foes like a lightning bolt. His scaly body flattened Cauron, Kapungu and Ridikill to the floor. His companions hurried up from behind him and hurled themselves at the lionesses and the hyenas. The mammals fought back with sharp claws and snapping jaws.

Backbone Gorge became a pit of twisting, slashing, crushing, tearing violence. It was sheer, screaming madness.

And then, just as suddenly, it ended.

"Stop! Everyone stop! Cool it!" someone called out.

The piercing shrieks of the pythons and the frenzied, throaty snarls of the mammals were silenced. It was Amaryllis who had called for the break in fighting.

"We don't have to do this!" she cried, "There are other ways!"

Kachero reared up, "Other ways? What do you mean?"

"We're not your enemies. We have nothing against you and your kind", Amaryllis said, "And we don't hold grudges. There…"

"Cowardice!" one python spat, "You cannot destroy us and so you beg for mercy and peace! Cowards and weaklings!"

"Tell that to your comrade that we left back up the canyon", Kapungu growled.

"Cool it", Amaryllis said again, "Listen. I can see how loyal you are to Mamacala, but I also know it's been drilled into you for a long time now. You can all change".

"Amy, no", Ridikill interrupted, "You can't change these…freaks. They serve Mamacala to the end".

"I gave you a chance to change, didn't I? Don't they deserve the same?"

Ridikill paused, then shut his mouth and bowed his head slightly.

"_He _changed", Amaryllis nodded in Ridikill's direction, "He realized the error of his ways. Why can't you? Or, if you won't join us and actually fight Mamacala, why not just leave this battle in peace? We won't pursue you".

The pythons listened intently, swaying to and fro, heads cocked.

"Do you think Mamacala will really reward you for your hard work in his name?" Amaryllis asked, "He only cares for himself, that's obvious. So why not aid us and help to stop him from getting away with murder?"

Kachero swept his head forward until his blunt nose was almost touching Amaryllis', "You think we should turn on the Master? Because of his selfish cause, and his lack of concern for us?"

"Yes".

"Well…" Kachero's voice wavered a little, "One thing you should know…"

"Yes?"

"Serving the Master is its own reward. And you, lioness, I will enjoy hearing your bones break".

Immediately he clamped his vice like jaws on Amaryllis's throat and bit down. She roared in pain as loops of snake coils lashed around her.

Her startled companions lunged forward to help her, but the snakes were faster. The remaining five pythons formed a wall of needle fangs, muscular bodies and whipping tails. All hell broke lose.

Shocked and afraid, Amaryllis felt the big leader python's soft, silky body begin to tighten, ever so slightly, around her. At first it was merely uncomfortable, but then when she breathed in the coils tightened around her, and soon she was struggling to breathe.

Kachero released his hold on her throat and turned his head around to look her in the eyes. There was a cold glimmer in his alien pupils.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" he whispered to her, "Oh yes, how it hurts. First the breathing becomes difficult, then laboured, then impossible. And then your vision begins to fail you and all you can feel is the sensation of the crushing muscles tightening around you".

Even as he spoke blackness began to take Amaryllis.

"And then you may lose consciousness, and that would be merciful. Or maybe not. And then you will feel the cracking and crushing of your bones as the life is squeezed out of you, inch by agonizing inch".

Great pain wracked Amaryllis' body. She was unsure whether to fight to maintain consciousness or to give in.

"But it's the blood vessels that are most interesting", Kachero droned, "The way they _stretch_, until they reach breaking point. Almost as if they are about to go…pop".

All other senses were numb to Amaryllis now; all she could hear was the python's taunting and all she could feel was the immense crushing pain.

"You fool. You thought you could turn us against Mamacala. We are not weak like your pathetic hyena friend," Kachero hissed, "Lord Mamacala is the Master, and we are honoured to serve him, even if it is only for the barest scrap of acknowledgement, and that alone is more than we deserve. Now die, and die with the knowledge that you were just not enough to deter Mamaca…"

The python was cut short when Ridikill managed to get his head above the writhing conflict behind them, and then scramble on top of one alarmed serpent and use it as a platform to leap at Kachero. He tackled the snake's head to the floor.

"Die, traitor!" the python shrieked, "You shall not hinder the Master, or…"

Again he was cut short when Ridikill seized his head in his jaws. Immediately Kachero writhed fiercely. He began to quickly unloop himself from Amaryllis. She slumped to the floor, unmoving.

"Amy! Get up!" Ridikill yelled, but then Kachero whipped his tail through the air and struck Ridikill a blow that hurled him into the canyon wall, crashing painfully on the hard rocks.

Unfortunately for Kachero Ridikill did not loosen his grip on the snake's head, and so he too was jerked along violently into the cliff face by his own strike. Ridikill clung on grimly as the massive python thrashed about in spastic circles.

Amaryllis got to her feet, unsteady and nauseous. She ached all over and her legs were weak. As she took in the scene before her, her stomach turned.

The pythons and lions and hyenas were tearing into each other with savage abandon, reptilian speed and power versus mammalian endurance and numbers. Bloody flowed freely from most combatants

As much as it sickened her, Amaryllis realized she had no choice but to fight. She was about to hurl herself into the fray when she remembered Ridikill. She wheeled about to see Ridikill clinging to Kachero's head as the python whirled about and slammed his assailant violently to the floor and the gorge walls. However blood was trickling down the snake's neck in a steady, dark stream, and the resistance was gradually fading.

Kachero lashed frantic circles in the dust of the canyon floor with his huge body. He sent spasms through his muscular coils to shake Ridikill off. But it was too late. After a final thrashing rattle the python lay still, dust swirling around its huge form.

Ridikill looked up, his muzzle dark with blood. He looked about grimly, then nodded at Amaryllis.

"Thanks for saving me", she said.

"No problem", he replied, "We gotta go help the others".

Amaryllis stared at the twitching body of Kachero, "Why...why, Ridikill? Why wouldn't they help us? Why are they fighting to the death for Mamacala?"

Ridikill looked pained, "You can't save everyone, Amy. Not everyone can be redeemed. This was the only option we had left. But at least you tried".

With that he leapt into the battle. Amaryllis followed him.

For the next half an hour or more war raged in Backbone Gorge. It was a fight quite unlike anything that had been seen in the Pride Lands for many lives of lion or hyena. But as the battle wore on the stamina of the snakes began to wear down. Their strikes became slower, clumsier. One fell to vicious bites to the backbone from Sarkil and Burudi. Another followed soon after, head crushed by lightning blows from Vitani's paws.

But as traumatic as the fight would have been for any normal creature, the pythons did not relent. They shouted Mamacala's name to the heavens as they fought to the death, drawing blood from lioness and hyena and trying desperately to suffocate a foe in their coils. They whirled about to face their enemies, and though they gradually slowed and weakened, the fierce cries of hatred never subsided.

It was a harrowing experience for Vitani, Amaryllis and even the most ruthless of the hyenas. To be forced into a situation where you had to slowly kill a deranged and outnumbered foe was deeply disturbing. But they had no choice but to end what had begun as quickly as possible, and with just three weary pythons left, that end was near. Moments later, it was two. The end was near.

But the taste of victory, no matter how bitter, was short-lived. The combatants who weren't engaged looked up as the sun was blotted out for a moment by a great shape. A massive body plunged down the side of the gorge, sliding down the bank, dislodging stones, dirt, vegetation, dead branches and a small tree as it came, tearing the slope asunder with its weight as it entered the arena. The crocodile was completely unfazed by the collision of his one tonne body hitting the floor from such a height. He turned towards the fighting lions, hyenas and pythons, taking the situation in with his staring green eyes. Then he advanced.

Ridikill stared in horror at the sight of his former mentor approaching in wrath. His tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth: he couldn't say anything. Next to him Vitani raised her head. The crocodile was only a few meters away, approaching from the way they had come, unhurried but nonetheless terrifying. The two remaining pythons were putting up quite a struggle now that their Master had returned, and Vitani realized they needed to regroup.

"It's Mamacala! Retreat!" she called.

The lions and hyenas fled before the giant armoured reptile as best they could, but they were hindered by the pythons sweeping forward to block their retreat. The mammals engaged in a fighting attempt to back away down the gorge. The crocodile kept coming, slow but unopposed and unstoppable, more like a force of nature than a mere animal, like a storm in the mountains or a river cutting through the Pride Lands.

"We'll regroup further down the gorge!" Vitani gasped as she wrestled free from one of the pythons with the help of Kapungu, "We'll form a barricade and stop him from going any further!" she ordered, trying to convince herself it would work.

The pythons were strong and quick to strike but not so fast in a pursuit. The lions and hyenas managed to break free and back down the gorge, turning now and again to snap or claw if one got too close. The defending mammals managed to retreat successfully; even Ridikill regained his senses and galloped away.

All except one. Burudi found himself separated from his companions, winded and bloodied. Between him and his friends were the two pythons giving chase. Behind him was Mamacala.

The hyena turned to face the crocodile. He reasoned that he had more chance of getting past one cumbersome crocodile than two pythons, especially in a narrow ravine. Once he got past the croc he would exit the gorge, then run along the ridge to catch up with his friends and rejoin the battle when he could.

The crocodile waddled forward. His face was expressionless as always, but as he looked at Burudi he knew the scarred hyena was the 'near-friend' Ridikill had referred to several times before. Once or twice Mamacala had grown concerned that Burudi would influence Ridikill significantly and steer him in the opposite direction from his own plans. Those concerns hadn't arisen to anything in the end, but nevertheless it elicited something akin to a small amount of joy for the crocodile to have the troublesome hyena before him.

Burudi watched the croc approach, then he bolted forward, trying to get past Mamacala's left flank. Unfortunately the hyena underestimated just how fast the ponderous-looking reptile could move. In an instant the huge tail swept around and smashed into the hyena, launching him into the gorge wall and knocking the wind out of him.

Out of the corner of his eye Mamacala could see the lions and hyenas had stopped retreating and were just tackling the last two pythons, while watching him approach Burudi. One hyena, probably Ridikill, was trying desperately to fight through the pythons and break through to his aid. Mamacala would have grinned if he could. It was time for a little show of force.

"Hello, little half-grown", he gloated to Burudi, "I daresay you thought you'd seen the last of me. Not so, I'm afraid. Now, come here".

Burudi, vision swimming and body wracked with pain, got to his feet and snapped at the crocodile, seeing his end coming towards him. He was too weak to either fight back effectively or flee in time. All he could do was struggle.

"Back off, pond scum!" the hyena bellowed, managing to lunge forward and sink his teeth ineffectively into the croc's snout. He released and went to bite the leathery throat; however Mamacala swung his head and knocked the hyena over on his back. The reptile towered over him, jaws gaping wide, "This isn't over!" Burudi screamed defiantly.

"Perhaps not", Mamacala seized Burudi by the body, fatally impaling him with his crushing teeth, then thrashing his head so violently that he severed the corpse: half a torso, the front legs and the head and neck shot across the gorge while the abdomen and rear legs remained in the stinking crocodilian jaws, "But it is for you!"

"_No_!" someone wailed. It sounded like Ridikill.

Mamacala turned about to face his enemies. They had felled the last two pythons: now six huge snakes lay dead on the gorge floor. It was unsightly, Mamacala thought. But he felt no remorse at the death of his followers: loss was noted only from a tactical standpoint.

He realized he still had half of Burudi's carcass in his mouth. He opened his jaws and titled his head and the remains spilled out over the floor. Glancing about, he noticed that a surprising amount of the hyena's blood had sprayed over the cliff face. How interesting. It was like he had burst a…

He caught something hurtling towards him out of the corner of his eye. It was Ridikill, foaming at the mouth and snarling like a rabid jackal. He was only a few meters away. The lioness Amaryllis was calling him back.

Mamacala turned slowly to face Ridikill. His cold green eyes locked with Ridikill's blazing yellow eyes. They held the stare for a moment, then Ridikill suddenly skidded to a halt. He cowered down low before the great crocodile, unable to make eye contact any more, and trembled like a frightened cub.

"Ridikill! Come back! Don't face him alone!" Amaryllis shouted again.

"Yes Ridikill, run back to your friends. You're clearly upset", Mamacala's stony expression did not change, but there was a glint of cruel satisfaction in his eyes as he nodded in the direction of Burudi's torn upper torso, "You mammals really do…_go to pieces_ so easily".

"No…no…" Ridikill shuddered, "You…you just…"

But despite his outrage at the death of his would-be-friend, he had enough sense, or fear in him, to retreat to his allies' side.

Mamacala looked at the lionesses and the hyenas. They had formed a line that blocked off further access to the gorge. They watched him approach with horror, but also grim determination. So this was it, Mamacala thought. Now two traumatized lionesses and seven battle-weary hyenas were all that stood between him and Pride Rock. And it was up to him to deal with it too, now that his followers were all…

"M…Master…" a thin voice gasped.

Mamacala and the mammals looked, startled, as Kachero the python twitched and shuddered. Despite the terrible wound on his cranium, the mighty python managed to look up at Mamacala and wheeze coherently.

"O Master, I have failed you. Please…please, as I die, show me a sign that you forgive me!" he pleaded.

Mamacala watched the pathetic dying Kachero for a moment, unflinching, then raised one foot and brought it down on the snake's head, crushing it beneath his great weight. He then resumed his steady advance on the mammals, unceremoniously stepping over and on his lieutenant's bloodied body as he came.

"You didn't need to do that", Cauron was furious, "He lived only to serve you! He only wanted your approval. And you…"

"I gave him a quick death. It was the kindest thing to do", Mamacala drawled, "If I had it my way you'd not be so lucky. I'd cripple you all and leave you to die slowly in the sun, gnawed by the jackals and vultures. I've done it before.

"But unfortunately I don't have the luxury of time right now. Nor can I afford witnesses, even dying ones. So I'm going to have to kill you all relatively quickly".

"You assume you can", Babaka snorted, but he was badly shaken by the death of Burudi and it showed.

"I won't be lectured on what I can and can't do by a mongrel hyena who hasn't even seen five seasons", Mamacala drew closer, "And I'm afraid I've no more time for talk".

He stopped ten yards short of them, a terrible leviathan coated in amour of scales, scarred from nose to the tip of his tail nearly twenty feet away. His iron-hard head was pointed in their direction like an arrow and he opened his crooked jaws slowly.

"I hope you've thoroughly enjoyed your little rebellion: because now it's over, my restless little warriors! Now you die. Now you _all _die. And who will be there to witness your noble end? None. And all your efforts will have been in vain because I'm going to _kill you all_".

"Nonsense!" someone snapped.

Mamacala grunted in surprise. Everyone looked at Ridikill, who was staring the crocodile in the eye, fiercely defying him.

"There's just as much chance of _us_ killing _you_! Did you think about _that_ before you waddled that ridiculous bloated body of yours down here? We're all predators, the same as you. You're so blind you think everyone is simply prey to you. Well I've got news for you, pal.

"We can all fight. Sarkil over there's as savage as a leopard when she gets going. Kapungu's got the temper of a hornet. And even little Groco can get nasty when he's backed into a corner.

"Vitani's a member of the royal family and she fights twice as hard when she remembers what she's fighting for, and as for Amaryllis, well, when she gets angry she's got a killer instinct to match even mine!"

"Oh", said Mamacala.

"And that's not all! Even as we speak Kiara is on her way to stop the battle and warn them of your plan!"

"Would that be the plan that was only possible because of your assistance?"

Ridikill ignored him, "Soon the entire lion pride and hyena clan will be on their way to deal with you, and I'll bet they're not going to be pleased!"

Mamacala was still unreadable and maddeningly calm, "Simba's on his way huh? Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it!"

Then in an instant he changed. His body tensed, his eyes blazed, his jaws flung open wide and he arched his back. He looked, for the first time, _furious_.

He spat in a screeching voice, "That is _if we ever _come to it, _fool_!" with a throaty hiss he barreled forward, catching them all off guard.

He closed the distance between them in an instant. He was in their midst in a second, jaws open wide and reaching out.

"Everyone! Move!" Vitani screamed.

The defenders leapt away from the gaping maw. The mouth slammed shut with a crash. Angrily the crocodile lunged forward again, nearly catching Shungi.

But as the mammals were still recovering from the shock of the lightning fast attack, Mamacala thrust forward again, uttering a throaty hiss. His spiked lips of stony scales grasped for them, but as they all scrambled away he suddenly pivoted on his back legs and used the momentum of his attack to swing his body around 180 degrees.

The move caught the defenders by surprise. One second they had been pulling away from Mamacala's jaws, the next his massive tail was sailing through the air towards them. It caught all of them: a lucky few were just tripped by the tip of the tail, but the others were hurled into the air, flattened by the blow or slammed into the cliff wall.

Amaryllis gasped. She had been flung to the floor painfully. She felt like she had been run over by a rhinoceros, and she wasn't even really sure what had happened. Looking up, she saw she was in the direct path of Mamacala. The giant crocodile was charging at her.

She decided not to leap aside any more but to fight back. She leapt to her feet and raised her paw. As the crocodile barreled into striking range, she unsheathed her claws and swung her paw with all the might she could muster.

To her horror it had no effect on the crocodile. The paw bounced harmlessly off the skull, and her enemy didn't even flinch. In fact the attack only served to snap two of her claws and sprain her paw. As she winced in pain, the jaws reached to engulf her…

"Move!" Vitani tackled Amaryllis, shoving her out of the path of the oncoming crocodile. The reptile trundled on for a few steps, snapping.

He blundered past Sarkil and Cauron, who took the opportunity to leap on his tail and tear at it with their teeth. They bit savagely at the spiky scales running down the length of his tail, unaware that they were inflicting no pain on the behemoth.

Mamacala tilted his head slightly to look back at the two hyenas, and for a moment his crocodilian smile seemed to broaden, "This is getting annoying", he smirked, and flicked his tail. Cauron and Sarkil were tossed away like leaves on the wind.

Kapungu attacked Mamacala's armoured neck, but his teeth couldn't penetrate the scutes and scales. Mamacala struck right with his head and flattened the hyena.

The battle went on in this way, with Mamacala dominating the lionesses and hyenas by lashing out at them with his tail, body and jaws. He was unscathed despite the best efforts of his enemies, his thick hide rendering the most savage attack to feeble scratch marks.

"Oh yes", Mamacala hissed to himself as he charged forward and knocked Vitani on her back.

"Oh this is superb. After so many years…" he chuckled as he swiped away Ridikill, Shungi and Groco with a sweep of his tail.

"After so many years of defeating opponents only with plans and stratagems, as satisfying as that is…" he planted one clawed foot on top of the struggling Babaka and pinned him to the floor.

"Nothing quite compares to the thrill of crushing an inferior being…personally. Nothing like it to remind you of your superiority", his jaws slammed shut mere inches away from Amaryllis.

"You're sick", Amaryllis gasped as she barely managed to edge away.

"Perhaps, but I'm not going to die any time soon. You are".

Vitani led Babaka, Shungi, Cauron and Groco in a charge against the crocodile. He waited until they had pounced on him, then shuddered his massive body and shook them off.

"Don't get overconfident, you old fool", Ridikill spat, "You've been scarred. You've come close to losing fights before. You're not immortal".

"I might as well be to you short-lived vulnerables", the crocodile retorted as he wrestled with his attackers, "And my scars are from my younger days, before my prime. Before I attained my current _power_ and _wisdom_".

Ridikill skipped aside from a lunge from the crocodile. A thought struck him like a lightning bolt, and he didn't know why he found it so important, "Oh yeah? Well, you told me about all your scars. But you never told me how you lost your toes".

Mamacala froze. He was still assailed but he ignored his antagonists as, slowly, he looked down at his left foreleg. It was missing all but one of his claws, and it was deformed and mangled. He stared at it, and to Ridkill's amazement, the crocodile began to tremble.

"Touched a raw nerve, have I?" Ridikill laughed callously.

Amaryllis looked at him. As unlikely as it seemed, Ridikill's innate ability to locate a weakness and mock it, the very trait that had made him so unbearable to know, seemed to have found a use.

Mamacala looked up, and his eyes were dark with murder, "You insolent little traitor! I'll crush you and your foolish mutiny now and forever!"

He roared. It was a strange, awful noise, more like a strangled gargle or a throaty rattle. It was a scream from another time, a time when reptiles ruled the earth. Then he charged at Ridikill, blind to all else.

Ridikill galloped away, the crocodile close on his heels. But as the reptile charged past them, the other hyenas and Vitani and Amaryllis leapt onto his back. They sank their teeth and claws into him and held on grimly.

Blinded by rage and consumed with destroying Ridikill as he was, Mamacala seemed not to notice the enemies tearing at his body and clinging on to him. He began to slow though, and it was easier and easier for Ridikill to avoid the crocodile.

Little did the hyenas and lionesses know that they had hit upon a crocodile's greatest weakness: fatigue. Despite their great strength, they were not built for sustained periods of intense action: just short bursts of power. Mamacala's movements were becoming more and more sluggish and he seemed not to realize it.

At last however, crawling along the floor after Ridikill, he eventually stopped dead, seemingly unable to take another step. He lay under half a tonne of lion and hyena tearing at his inert body. Ridikill took a chance and darted past Mamacala's still head to gnaw at his neck. The crocodile did not attempt to seize him.

At last, reptilian armour began to crack. The persistent hunters tasted crocodile blood for the first time, and also an end to the conflict. It was an awful, horrendous way to kill an enemy, but it was the _only_ way. And they knew Mamacala would have shown them no such mercy.

"You fools!" Mamacala wailed, "You…don't know what you've done!" he hissed pitifully.

It was a sound Ridikill would never has thought he would have heard – the dying breath of Mamacala. With mixed feelings he released his hold and looked up.

The other hyenas and the two lionesses climbed off the crocodile's body.

"Is he…?" Groco asked.

"I don't know", Vitani crept closer to the body and peered at the throat. After a moment she looked up, "Yeah. He's dead".

They looked at the great carcass. Nobody spoke. The wind was still and the heat was suddenly stifling and uncomfortable. Cauron shifted uneasily.

Shungi looked at the corpse, shuddered, and then glanced about, "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah", Sarkil said quietly, "Except Burudi".

Ridikill looked at his companion's severed body, then looked away quickly.

Amaryllis glanced at him "It's not your fault".

"It is", Ridikill whispered, "All of this is my fault. If I hadn't…"

"We don't have time to dwell now", Vitani interrupted, "We need to get to the pride. We don't know for sure that Kiara made it there okay. If she didn't, we're there only hope. Come on everyone".

She led the way back down the gorge, towards a slope in the cliff that led up to the plains.

Amaryllis took one last look at the giant body behind them, and the dead pythons slung about the floor about him. The blood was drying already in the relentless sun. Flies were gathering in clouds. Soon the vultures would arrive, then the jackals. And the evidence of any battle would be gone; flesh gobbled, bones cracked and shattered, even the bloody sand and stones swallowed. Nothing would be wasted. What a macabre, undignified end for a deluded 'Lord', his fanatical followers and one decent, brave hyena.

She remembered Burudi coming to her, admitting to her of his despairing of trying to befriend Ridikill for years. She had hoped that she had put Burudi on the path to warming up to Ridikill. And now his life had been savagely cut short.

At least he had been avenged. Amaryllis would have been horrified with herself for thinking like that twenty four hours ago, but it was difficult not to. The crocodile was such a despicable monster that she felt nothing but a grim sense of justice at his death.

She turned away. The hyenas began picking their way up the slope. Vitani stood at the rear of the group, giving out orders. Amaryllis nearly smiled. Vitani had a wonderful talent for leadership, and the hyenas seemed to respect it already.

"Go on Amy, get up there", Vitani nodded in the direction of the slope, "We need to hurry. I know we're all a little sore but we have to remember that our friends will feel a lot worse if word doesn't get to them soon. And although Kiara probably made it there fine, we can't take any chances. So everyone…"

Just as Amaryllis was beginning to clamber up, out of the corner of her eye she saw Vitani being jerked back violently. She twisted about to see Vitani clutched in the jaws of a giant crocodile, conical teeth puncturing into her soft flank.

"No…!" Amaryllis screamed helplessly, paralyzed with horror and shock.

The crocodile released his hold on Vitani and she was flung into the cliff wall behind. She struck the rock head-first and landed in a twisted, broken pile. Blood poured out of her forehead.

"No!" one of the hyenas screamed.

They stared at the lifeless body of Vitani, and then at Mamacala as he reared up, blood-soaked, eyes blazing, teeth glinting and grinning eagerly.

"Now", he said with venom, "We play _for real_".


	22. Sacrifice

Author's notes: Hey yet again. Yet another chapter for y'all. Hopefully I can keep 'em coming fairly consistently now that work's calmed down again. Thank you all for the feedback, also I changed the rating of the story. That was something that completely passed my mind over when I was writing it. That's what I need reviews for, hehe.

Anyway, read and review if you're up to it. Many thanks.

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

"No…no…it's not possible", Shungi whispered, staring at the crocodile with unabashed terror, "How…how?"

Mamacala laughed, a booming, harsh noise in the stifling silence of the still early evening heat.

"You unfortunate little creatures. You honestly believed your feeble efforts could topple that which has seen more seasons than all of you combined, twice over? The result of more than a century of growth, gathering strength and cunning? How egocentric of you".

"But…but we…we _killed_…" Groco stuttered.

"Well yes it would appear that way, to the untrained eye. But we crocodiles, the greatest of all species, have the ability to slow our metabolism to a degree you fast-paced mammals could never comprehend. One heart beat per minute, if we feel the need to submerge for hours. To all but the canniest fellow crocodile, we appear as one dead.

"A useful trick. Used primarily, as I said, to stay submerged for long periods of time, but it turned out to be equally useful for fooling a band of ragtag mammals tearing at my hide.

"And rest assured that you have not inflicted any significant damage to me. Although, to give full credit to you and your friend there", he nodded in the direction of Vitani's body, "I daresay one or two of you managed to give me new scars. But that's all. Now…shall we?"

He arched his back, bared his maw and hissed.

Ridikill shook all over as he stared at Mamacala. He knew what had to be done, but he was loath to do it. And there was no time to sit around contemplating it.

"Listen", he barked, "Everyone go. I'll stay here on my own and fight him".

"Go?" Amaryllis echoed, "What do you mean?"

"We don't know for sure that Kiara made it to Simba in time. And if she didn't, then everything we've done is for nothing and _he's _won. We _need_ our message to get through. All of you go. I'll stay here".

"But why stay alone?" Shungi asked, "Surely we should divide…"

"Whoever stays behind to fight him dies", Ridikill snapped, "The fewer that stay behind, the better. We got no chance of killing him with just us here. All we can do is make sure he doesn't get his way with Pride Rock. One will be enough to do that. All that's needed is to slow him down".

"And you think you can do that on your own?" Groco stared, "He'll rip through you like…"

"I can cope on my own. I'll slow him down long enough. Now _go_. No more questions! _Go_!"

The hyenas took one last look at each other, and then quickly scrambled up the slope. They wasted no more time and bolted away.

Amaryllis remained behind, halfway up the slope.

"_Go_", Ridikill kept his eyes on the hissing crocodile, "Amy, just go. I'll deal with this_ alone_".

"Why?" a tear trickled down Amaryllis' cheek, "Why do you…?"

"Why does he feel the need to stay behind on his own?" Mamacala croaked suddenly, "Isn't it obvious? You feel responsible for what's occurred on this great day, don't you Ridikill? And you want to right your wrongs and sacrifice your life to 'slow me down' and assure things don't go my way, correct?"

Ridikill nodded and spoke between gritted teeth, "Yes. That's right".

"Oh dear", Mamacala sighed, "There really is no hope for you, is there?"

"I'm staying to help you", Amaryllis locked her gaze on Mamacala and slinked back down into the gorge.

"Amy, no!" Ridikill roared, "I said go! I won't have you dying for something I did. Now get moving!"

"Listen, you!" Amaryllis said fiercely, "You're my friend, and I am not leaving you to die alone! I could never live with myself knowing I had abandoned you to death. Now for once in your life, shut up and accept help!"

Ridikill looked at her, stunned, but the instant he took his eyes off Mamacala the crocodile spoke.

"Ridikill, you honestly believe this creature and others like it deserve to live and you to die? Even though you were raised to be far better?"

"Yes", Ridikill eyed his enemy fearlessly, "I'm no better than they are, and neither are you".

Mamacala snorted irritably, "Of course I am. I am a Godling compared to these weaklings. They don't deserve to live".

"They deserve to choose for themselves!"

"Then you will _die with them_!" Mamacala launched himself at Ridikill and almost caught the hyena in his wake. Ridikill dodged aside but the reptile shunted violently to his left and managed to slam his bulky body into Ridikill.

Ridikill went spinning across the canyon floor and landed in a heap on the dusty floor. Mamacala surged forward to devour him.

"_Join them in extinction_!" the crocodile screamed.

Seconds before his teeth could close on the stunned Ridikill Amaryllis leapt forward, seized the hyena by the nape of the neck with her jaws like he was a cub and in one fluid motion bounded out of the reach of Mamacala.

Ridikill, eyes wide, found his feet and Amaryllis released him.

"Think it's about time you started accepting a little help?" Amaryllis almost smiled.

"I…listen, you should just…" Ridikill stuttered.

"Just accept it, Ridikill. I'm staying with you and helping you out. 'Til the end".

Mamacala cocked his head and waited patiently. He seemed interested.

Ridikill didn't know what to say.

"But if we're going to slow him down, I hope you have some kind of plan", Amaryllis looked at the behemoth reptile, "Because I think Groco was right. I don't know if we'll even slow him down for five minutes".

"I got a few ideas", Ridikill narrowed his eyes, "Just…follow my lead, okay?"

"Got ya. But what I don't get is why did he let the others go? He must know that if they get to Simba…"

"I know _this_", Mamacala's eyes glinted, "If your friends make it to the pride and the clan's battle, it will make no difference to this day's events".

Ridikill and Amaryllis stared at him.

"You see", he went on, "I haven't made my plans idly, trusting to mere chance and circumstance to assure my ascension to power. No, I have placed my faith in the very _nature _of both lion and hyena.

"You may believe that your unique little friendship proves that your two kinds can make peace, but it is not so. For longer than even I have lived lion and hyena have warred: for food, for territory, for power, for thrills, for pure hatred. That hatred runs deep, far deeper than a twisted friendship between two mismatched individuals, no matter how profound they may believe it to be.

"Perhaps you hope that your faith in each other will change things, but you do not see your kind for what they truly are. The nature of you all is that cannot see the world as I do".

"What are you talking about?" said Amaryllis.

"Just this, child. Emotions rule your kind. Both species lack the cool-headed clarity to step back from a situation and calculate your options, or what is best for you. As such, do you think news that this war was arranged will _stop_ your pack mates from fighting? Oh no. They will fight and kill until none are left, now that the bloodshed has started".

"You're wrong", Amaryllis snarled in disgust, but at the same time she felt doubt creeping upon her. Most of the pride hated the hyenas. Would they really disperse once the truth was revealed? Or would they lose themselves to the moment and use it to slaughter each other? Would they listen to Kiara's message? Would they…want to listen?

"Deny it all you want, lioness", Mamacala cooed, "But it's the truth. My plans hinge on it, and I do not plot idly. And with the lions and hyenas of the Pride Lands destroyed, the folk of this land will know a true ruler. One who will bring in a new age of respect for those who have lurked in the shadows of the lions for so long".

"Hah!" Ridikill barked, "You actually believe the Pride Landers will accept you as their ruler?"

"Oh yes, I know it. The herds recognize authority when they see it. And now, enough talk. I don't need to justify myself to my victims. Do you justify your actions to the wildebeest? No. Then sit back and do as they do: accept their fate. The destiny to be prey to a superior beast!"

He lunged. Ridikill turned and ran a few steps, and Amaryllis followed suit just in time. Mamacala's attack fell a few feet short, but he was after them instantly, hurtling towards them and snapping left and right.

"Move it!" Ridikill yelled, and he led Amaryllis in a swift retreat down the canyon.

"What are we going to do?" she glanced back over her shoulder and saw the crocodile was frighteningly close. She picked up the pace.

"We wear him out", Ridikill replied, "By baiting him. We retreat when he goes for us, and we go back in and nail him when we got the chance. But don't take no risks. This is gonna require both of us. Got it?"

Amaryllis nodded, "Yeah, but…"

Ridikill was not running by her side anymore. She wheeled about and saw him galloping back towards the oncoming crocodile.

"Ridikill! What are you…?"

When he was within two feet of the tooth-laden prehistoric jaws, Ridikill leapt. He sailed above Mamacala, who jerked his head upward and just missed the target. Ridikill landed on Mamacala's iron-hard back plates, then instantly he launched himself into the air again just as the crocodile swung about and clapped his jaw shut in the air Ridikill had just occupied.

The hyena had cleared the gigantic crocodile's length, but he hit the ground running. Mamacala was after him immediately. The crocodile hissed and gurgled furiously as he trundled after Ridikill.

And then Amaryllis realized Ridikill's plan and saw her moment. She charged at the crocodile's unprotected back and sank her fangs into his right hind leg. She managed to drive her teeth past the thick scales and draw blood.

She felt the crocodile shudder and begin to turn. Immediately she let go and backed off just as the giant pile-driver tail pounded the dirt where she had just stood.

Mamacala lurched about, heaving his one tonne body about with difficulty to face Amaryllis. But as he did Ridikill hurled himself forward and worried Mamacala's tail.

"Aaargh!" Mamacala bellowed, more in frustration than in pain. He was bleeding from separate wounds now but he felt no real pain, just a vague sense of discomfort. But as he swept back and forth, each time more and more desperate to catch his foes between his teeth, a dull ache spread through his veins and he recognized the first warning signs of fatigue.

Ridikill, perhaps sensing weakness, lunged forward and bit the base of Mamacala's tail. Again he tasted blood.

The taunting and baiting of Mamacala continued for some time. How long Ridikill did not know. He loathed the method of destroying his former mentor, but it was the only option. The fight went on this way. The sun sank lower in the darkening sky. A red haze descended on the Pride Lands as evening wore on.

Eventually Mamacala slowed to almost a stop. He had to drag himself to and fro instead of swinging back and forth nimbly, and judging by his rapidly pulsating dewlap he was obviously exerting himself. At last he stopped moving altogether and lay flat, head bowed in the dust.

"Okay, finish him off", Ridikill said grimly, as much to himself as to Amaryllis. He was sweaty and exhausted, and stained with reptilian blood.

He wanted to finish this quickly. He could barely believe his old master had finally fallen. While it occurred to him the crocodile could be feigning defeat again, the flowing blood staining the dirt said otherwise.

Amaryllis and Ridikill closed in quietly. Ridikill approached the ancient head and Amaryllis crept towards the torso, which was upturned slightly, displaying the relatively vulnerable white belly.

"Make it quick", Amaryllis said, closing her mind off to what she was about to do.

"Right", Ridikill looked at the unprotected, heaving throat and stepped forward.

"Oh please", Mamacala smirked.

The crocodile leapt back to life. He struck out with his head and caught Ridikill in the ribs. The hyena went spinning across the canyon. Mamacala struck out with his tail. Amaryllis was flung to the floor.

"Is that the best you could do, Ridikill?" the crocodile sneered, "And to think you genuinely thought you could destroy me".

Ridikill wasn't even surprised that Mamacala had been feigning defeat again. He knew it was a mistake to be so optimistic when going up against the invincible crocodile.

"It'll take more than a few pathetic flesh wounds for you to defeat _me_, Ridikill", Mamacala was approaching Ridikill slowly, "I've survived wounds that would slay one of your kind ten times over".

Mamacala's massive webbed foot pinned the barely conscious hyena to the floor. There was no fight left in Ridikill. He'd been beaten to within an inch of his life and he knew Amaryllis was in the same state. They couldn't keep fighting the unstoppable pillar of strength that was Mamacala. But at least they'd given it their all and given the rest of them a chance to…

Mamacala exerted a little pressure. It drove the breath out of Ridikill. His eyes bulged and he gasped for air.

"Realize…" Mamacala whispered, "Realize how utterly helpless you truly are…"

Ridikill looked up into the rows of piercing, conical teeth and finally saw his death. He was determined to face it. But before he did, he was going to look at Amaryllis one last time and thank her for everything…

Slowly, painfully, he turned his head towards Amaryllis, who was struggling towards him. He wanted to tell her it was okay, or to tell her to get out of there while she still had the chance. He struggled to muster the breath to speak.

"Well well, no last words?" Mamacala's green eyes glinted.

"Y…yeah. Amy…th…thank you. Don't give up just for me. And as for you…" he glared defiantly at his adversary, "Well…I guess this is 'see ya later, alligator' huh?" he spat on the reptile's snout.

"Ridikill…no…" Amaryllis dragged herself towards Ridikill.

Mamacala bristled with anger, then his jaws unfurled and reached out for Ridikill's helpless body to close about him in a snare of ivory fangs.

Ridikill didn't close his eyes. His death seemed odd, not like he'd have ever had imagined it. The killing jaws were about to close on him, and then they froze inches from his body for what seemed like an eternity. The moment just seemed to stretch on and on forever, like a horrendous, slow-motion torture. Ridikill began to wonder if they'd ever slam shut and finish him. Or maybe he was already dead, and this was the afterlife, where he was doomed to gaze for eternity into the jaws of death?

He blinked. He felt the sting of tears and pain throughout his body. Could you feel pain after you were dead? He wasn't sure. The crushing weight on his torso forced a hacking cough out of his bruised mouth. Did you cough in the afterlife? Was he even dead?

He chanced looking around. He was still on the floor of Backbone Gorge. Mamacala was still pinning him, but the jaws had withdrawn. Amaryllis was still off to one side, but both Mamacala and Amaryllis weren't looking at him. They were staring at the cliff walls.

And that was when Ridikill noticed the dozens and dozens of lions and hyenas perched on the edge of the gorge cliff walls, looking down at them.

"Stand down, Mamacala!" a voice roared. Ridikill recognized it as King Simba's.

Mamacala gazed up into the furious eyes of…a _lot _of lions and hyenas. It was difficult to say how many there were, but all he could say with any degree of certainty was that even he was ridiculously outgunned.

"Get your stinkin' claws off Ridikill!" Banzai snarled, stepping forward with the familiar faces of Shenzi and Ed, "_We'll _decide what happens to him. Now back off!"

Slowly, Mamacala moved off Ridikill, never taking his eyes off the amassed mammals staring down at him. The wretched lioness Amaryllis grabbed Ridikill by the nape of the neck and towed him out of reach.

"Oh", was all Mamacala could say to the assembled lions and hyenas of the Pride Lands, "_Oh_".

"'Oh' indeed", Simba said, his mane flowing and his eyes stern and wrathful, "So, you planned to have us all destroy each other, huh? So you could climb to power yourself?"

"Yeah, well sorry to disappoint you, swamp-toad", Shenzi barked, her normally suave and calm composure gone, "But that ain't happening. But what _is_ going to happen is we're gonna redecorate this gorge with an interesting new colour called 'hint of crocodile'. Come on, guys!"

"Wait, wait!" Mamacala bellowed, "Let's be reasonable. Simba, I've served you faithfully for many years! Am I not at least entitled to a fair trial?"

"Sorry, but I'm with her on this one", Simba nodded in Shenzi's direction, then turned to his followers, "Bring him down!"

As one, nearly a hundred hyenas and over thirty lions charged down the side of the gorge towards the alarmed crocodile.

Mamacala whirled about and with surprising speed scooted away. He wasted no time with a passing comment or a plea for mercy: he simply ran for his life.

* * *

Ridikill watched the crowd of lions and hyenas, wall-to-wall, pursuing the crocodile, who was lost in a mass of bodies. The dog hyena struggled for a moment to maintain consciousness, then shook himself awake and stood up shakily on his quaking legs.

"Are you alright?" a voice said next to him. It was Amaryllis.

"Yeah. Never better", Ridikill tottered slightly; Amaryllis moved to support him.

"Guess they got over their differences after all", she said, watching the last pursuing lions and hyenas disappear around a bend.

"Guess so", Ridikill spat abruptly: a few drops of blood and a molar tooth shot out.

"So what happens now?" Amaryllis muttered.

"I dunno", Ridikill replied, "But technically I'm still a conspirator. Only…"

"Vitani!" a voice screamed next to him, painfully loud. He shuddered.

Kiara ran to Vitani's body. Several other lions and hyenas had remained behind with her to tend to any wounded.

"No!" Kiara wailed, "No! No!"

Amaryllis sobbed suddenly. She bowed her head and her shoulders heaved. The pain of Vitani's death had only just kicked in. Ridikill couldn't bear to look at her or Kiara. It had never left his mind for a moment that this was all his fault.

"You okay?" someone asked.

Ridikill turned. It was Groco.

"Yeah. I'm okay", Ridikill replied, then said, "Thanks, man. You didn't go with the others?"

Groco shook his head, "No. I figured you might need some help".

"I appreciate that".

"Yeah. I dunno what good it'll do. Shenzi, Banzai and Ed are mad, man. You shoulda seen 'em coming here. I don't think they're feeling generous".

Ridikill shrugged, "I figured I was gonna die here one way or the other. Just wish I hadn't taken no-one else out with me, except maybe Mamacala".

Groco smiled, "You've changed. For the better. Maybe Shenzi will be merciful after all".

"I doubt it. Anyway, how did you…"

He was interrupted by a piercing cry from Kiara.

"She's alive!"

Ridikill and Groco exchanged looks, then dashed over to where Kiara and Amaryllis were tending to Vitani.

The battered and bloodied Vitani was looking about, blinking in a bewildered fashion. Ridikill started. He had been certain Vitani was carrion.

"Hmm? Huh? Where am I?" Vitani said thickly, "Ki…Kiara? Amy? What's going on?"

"You're okay!" Amaryllis sobbed and buried her face in her fur, "She's okay!"

Kiara and Amaryllis nuzzled Vitani lovingly. She looked at them, dumbfounded and confused.

"She'll need water", Ridikill said.

"I'll get it", Groco yapped.

"No, I'll…" Ridikill paused, "Actually, I think perhaps I better stay here and wait for Shenzi, Banzai and Ed to get back here. Okay, you go dude".

Groco darted away south.

Amaryllis and Kiara were still fussing over Vitani, who apparently had merely suffered mild concussion. Ridikill was pleased, although he decided to leave the lionesses to their reunion. It wasn't his place to get involved.

The other lions and hyenas were looking about uncertainly, eyeing the battlefield in disbelief. Great rocks had been gouged out of the cliff by sweeps of the crocodile's tail. Impressions were left in the dirt of the reptile's great struggle, and drying blood was spattered in the sand and on the rocks. And in the distance the carcasses of the huge pythons were strewn about.

Ridikill walked over to where Burudi lay. He stared at the mutilated body of what could have once been his friend, as if after Vitani's sudden awakening, he expected Burudi to stand up all of a sudden and reassure Ridikill that he was okay. But that wasn't going to happen. Not all of Mamacala's work could be undone.

* * *

Mamacala charged back down the gorge, body bouncing and tail slamming in the dirt behind him in an ungainly fashion. He knew his only hope was to get back to the river at the mouth of the gorge. There were far too many lions and hyenas for even him to fight off.

He hadn't gotten far down the gorge when he felt several impacts on his back. He realized several lions and hyenas had leapt on him. Nonetheless he barreled on, not daring to look back, fearing for his life for the first time in decades.

Nala tore at the crocodile's armour as she clung on grimly. Next to her the hyena Ed was biting furiously at the thick sales. Yet more lions and hyenas bounded onto the back of fleeing reptile.

Mamacala didn't even slow down. But soon he was covered in attacking lions and hyenas, all gnawing and clawing at his armour plating. And if one fell off two more leapt from the charging crowd to replace it.

Soon the mammals were positively swarming over the giant crocodile. Several lions had managed to get their long claws under his scales and into his flesh. Some hyenas had managed to crack holes in his plating and tear at his vulnerable fleshy tissue.

Mamacala slowed, not from pain or injury but the sheer weight of his attackers piling on top of him. Now more than ever in his life he was tired. So very tired. Perhaps it would be good for him to take a break, to relax, to give in…

No. Not Mamacala, Lord of the Rivers. He would survive. He would endure. He always had, and always would. He was not about to let a few miserable pussy cats and inbred mongrels extinguish his glorious life-force.

He thrashed violently. Lions and hyenas were flung off him, while some managed to cling on. He hurtled forward, ignoring the now all-too real pain torturing his ancient body. He ran faster than he ever had in his long life. It wasn't far to the river. He knew it, he could smell it…

It was fortunate for him that he was in a ravine. If they were on open ground they'd have surrounded him and pulled him down long ago. As long as he kept lashing his tail to and fro as he fled he would prevent them from caging him in.

At last, he saw the end of the gorge ahead of him! He must have been running for quite some time. There was a small stretch of open ground between the gorge and the river. Mamacala would have to chance it. He had no idea how many lions and hyenas were atop him now, tearing into him, but he wasn't about to let them stop him.

With a frightening clamour Mamacala and his pursuers spilled out of the gorge and into the open. A startled troop of zebras hooted and galloped away as the crocodile, unseen beneath a mountain of assailants, dragged himself towards the river. Several drinking elephants looked up and waved their heads and bellowed in alarm.

Simba charged at Mamacala and tore into him. The enemies were overwhelming the crocodile but he was still crawling towards the river, inch by agonizing inch. With a last spurt Mamacala bolted for the water, dragging his foes with him.

"Aaaargh!" the crocodile roared.

Shenzi, seeing Mamacala surge towards the water, raised her head and called, "Everyone off! Get out of there! Let go of him!"

Some obeyed in time. Others were dragged into the water with the crocodile with a tremendous splash. A dozen or more bewildered lions and hyenas bobbed to the surface.

At the river's edge, Nala recognized the danger "Everyone out of the water!"

Even as she spoke a dark shape materialized in the midst of the confused allies.

"Out! Now!" Banzai yelled.

They scrambled for the river bank. Mamacala rushed to the surface in the middle of them, snapping his jaws. But he was weak and weary, the attack was half-hearted; with a groan he sank below the surface.

The last of the hyenas were picking themselves out of the water. Simba approached the bank and looked into the murk.

Kovu looked at him, "Did we get him? Is he dead?"

Simba narrowed his eyes, "Maybe. I'm not sure".

"He might get tired and drown", Shenzi said, walking up to Simba with her two companions.

"Or he might die of his wounds", Banzai added.

Nala focused at a line of bubbles heading away from them. An inky trail of blood flowed behind it, "Maybe. We'll see".

* * *

Vitani was standing weakly, supported between Amaryllis and Kiara. She was slipping in and out of consciousness, but it didn't look like she'd suffered any serious damage. Sharhal and two other lionesses waited nearby.

Ridikill stood off to one side in silence, sitting on his haunches and head bowed. Several other hyenas mooched about. They had in fact been given orders from Shenzi to capture Ridikill and prevent him from escaping, but it didn't look like he was going anywhere. In fact they had the distinct impression Ridikill wasn't going to resist at all.

They heard the trotting of quick feet. Groco reappeared from around a bend. He carried half a gourd in his mouth. It was filled with water.

"Here", he said in a muffled voice.

Sharhal took it from him between her teeth and lifted Vitani's head back with her paw. She titled the contents of the gourd into her mouth. Vitani coughed and spluttered.

"We need to get her home as soon as possible", Kiara said.

"Yeah. But we should wait for the others", Amaryllis answered, "I don't want us to have to walk her home alone. But I guess hyena attack isn't a worry anymore?"

Kiara shook her head, "No. They're not interested in fighting us anymore".

"Glad to hear it", Amaryllis looked at her, "So…what happened? You got there in time to stop the fighting?"

"No. I got there and they'd already met".

"Then…then there were casualties?"

"No. They didn't fight. They met and they realized something was wrong".

"How? What do you mean?"

"Dad didn't have chance to explain it to me fully. As soon as I told him what was really going on him and the hyena leaders decided to come here as quickly as possible, to save you guys and to bring down Mamacala.

"But when I got there the two armies had assembled but nobody was making a move. Mom said to me it just _felt_ like neither side really wanted to be there. Simba demanded a meeting with Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, and they agreed. They were just sitting down and trying to figure out how both of them had been tricked into marching to war when I arrived".

"Oh", Amaryllis smiled, "So Mamacala was wrong. We _can_ work things out".

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Look, they're back".

The tide of lions and hyenas marched down the gorge towards them, wall-to-wall. There was no separation now: lion and hyena mingled freely and talked amongst themselves, discussing the day's events.

At the head of the column came Simba, Nala, Kovu, Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. They strode towards the waiting lions and hyenas.

Ridikill suddenly found himself nose to nose with Shenzi. The bitch hyena's yellow eyes glared into his own and her black lips curled back to show her canines. Banzai and Ed were on either side of her, snarling.

"Now", Shenzi growled, "I hate to remind everyone of another unpleasantry, but it's time to decide what we do with _you_, traitor."


	23. Resolution

Author's notes: Well, what can I say. Once again this update is well overdue. And I apologize for keeping you all waiting. Thank you for your patience. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

In response to Elven Warrior Princess, yes I am a big LOTR fan, and yeah I did take those lines from TTT movie (I assume you mean the hyenas arguing over the kill in Chapter 6: Retribution). I used to be a fan of the movies, but these days I'm not, and much prefer the books. But I still have a kinda soft spot for some of the orcish dialogue in the movies, so I included this. Oh, by the way, the hyenic curse word 'garn' in this fic is actually an orcish curse word from the books. Thanks for asking!

Simba – Adult male lion, King of the Pride Lands

Nala – Adult lioness, Queen of the Pride Lands, wife of Simba

Kiara – Adult lioness, Princess of the Pride Lands, hunting party leader

Kovu – Adult lion, Prince Regent of the Pride Lands, husband of Kiara

Vitani – Adult lioness, half-sister of Kovu

Amaryllis – Adult lioness, foster mother of Amabi, former loner, wanderer

Nadhari – Adult lioness, mother of Alyssa and Kelt

Sharhal – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Aetti – Adult lioness, a member of Kiara's hunting party

Tumai – Adult male lion, competitive, aggressive, mocking

Juvi – Adult male lion, quiet, thoughtful young male

Salama – Adult male lion, old and wise but not as wise as he thinks, condescending

Lokanneoro – Adult male lion, Tenzer's father, veteran survivor, powerful

Maradi – Adult male lion, attractive and pleased with his appearance

Haya – Adult male lion, young, curious about the world

Tenzer – Half grown male lion, loner, quiet character but gentle with cubs

Ryana – Half-grown lioness, talkative and besotted with Tenzer

Amabi – Male lion cub, adopted son of Amaryllis, cheeky, inquisitive cub

Alyssa – Lioness cub, daughter of Nadhari, more reserved and careful cub

Kelt – Male lion cub, son of Nadhari, slightly insecure cub

Zazu – Adult hornbill, Simba's majordomo

Timon – Adult meerkat, Simba's friend

Pumbaa – Adult warthog, Simba's friend

Rafiki – Adult baboon- Simba's friend, shaman and advisor

Shenzi – Adult female hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Banzai – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ed – Adult male hyena, leader of Graveyard Clan

Ridikill – Adult male hyena, hunting pack leader, extremely aggressive and antisocial

Burudi – Adult male hyena, scarred face, Ridikill's 'lieutenant', less vicious, member of Ridikill's pack

Groco – Adult male hyena, weakling, low-ranking scout trying to improve his social standing, member of Ridikill's pack

Agiza – Adult female hyena, hunting pack leader, one of Shenzi's favoured, high-ranking

Sarkil – Adult female hyena, sarcastic huntress, member of Ridikill's hunting pack

Kapungu – Adult male hyena, fearsome hunter with a lust for blood, member of Ridikill's pack

Babaka – Adult male hyena, always hungry, member of Ridikill's pack

Shungi – Adult female hyena, rookie leader of small hunting pack

Cauron – Adult female hyena, currently heavily pregnant

Mali – Adult male leopard

Mamacala – Adult male crocodile

Kachero – Adult male rock python

Oocheva – Adult male plover bird

* * *

Hush had descended on the lion and hyena army. They crowded about in the gorge as Shenzi, Banzai and Ed faced Ridikill. Everyone waited for a move to be made.

At last Banzai cocked his head, "Well?"

Ridikill looked at him, "Well what?"

"So what you got to say, buddy?"

He shrugged, "Nothin', I guess".

"Nothing?!" Banzai snarled, "You got any idea what you _did_?! What you put us through? How close things were, and how things were _too_ close for some of us?" he gestured at the torn body of Burudi.

"Yeah, of course I do", Ridikill replied.

"…And?" Shenzi said.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Ridikill, "You want me to say sorry? What good's that gonna do?"

Shenzi, Banzai and Ed exchanged confused looks, and so did many of the other onlookers, "Um…well…_are_ you sorry?" Banzai asked.

Ridikill didn't answer right away. He licked his lips and shuddered as if in pain. He looked down at his paws and the dust settling on them.

"He is", Amaryllis spoke up.

"Let him do the talking", Shenzi snapped, "Do you regret your actions or not, Ridikill?"

"I don't see what difference it makes, in the scale of things", Ridikill answered slowly, "I mean, all things considered. We both know I'm gonna die for what I done".

"No! Not if…" Amaryllis began, but Ridikill cut her off.

"It's the way we do things, right Shenzi? I've accepted that. But, for what it's worth", he looked up, eyes glistening with the threat of tears, "Yeah, I am sorry for what I've done. More than you'll ever know".

Nobody moved or spoke.

"You'll never understand my reasons for doing what I've done", Ridikill shivered at the memory of Mamacala's ice-cold grip over his soul, "What drove me to betray you all. I have my reasons, but I ain't excusing myself. And I'm not in the mood to explain myself to you all. So if you're gonna kill me, hurry up and do it".

Shenzi hesitated. She was sorely tempted to rip the treacherous hyena limb-from-limb, but looking at him, either he was genuinely sorry for what he'd done or he was a very fine actor. Both would have seemed unlikely to her a few days ago.

But even if he was sorry, was that enough to atone for what he'd done? Burudi was dead and it was lucky that many more hadn't joined him. It was her duty to have Ridikill killed. But did she feel compelled to carry that order through? She wasn't sure.

"Perhaps you should wait until morning, when tempers will have calmed?" Simba suggested, suddenly appearing at her side.

"Back off, King-y", Shenzi snapped, "We may be allies now, but that don't mean we gotta take your advice on how we handle our own traitors".

"If you're going to kill Ridikill", Amaryllis growled suddenly, "You'll have to kill me too".

Ridikill perked up. There it was again: that soft menacing growl to her voice, the glint in her green eyes, the tensing of her supple body; it was that transformation that he had seen in her that had first intrigued him.

Shenzi looked from Amaryllis to Ridikill, from Ridikill to Amaryllis, and then to Banzai or Ed. The latter two gave her pathetic, pitying looks.

"Ohhh...for the love of…alright, fine!" Shenzi sighed, "Ridikill, your hide is safe for now. We'll hear your side of the story, and decide you fate, tomorrow".

There were no murmurs of dissatisfaction, no rebellious cries of outrage from the crowd. Ridikill was amazed, and looked it.

"But…" he began.

"No more arguing for now", Simba said, "We all should go home and get some sleep. It's been an exhausting day, for us all. We all have plenty to sleep on. I suggest that we meet again tomorrow, in the place where our battle very nearly took place. No-one's required to come but the leaders, but everyone else is welcome to. Agreed?"

The hyena leaders nodded.

"'Till tomorrow then, King-y", Shenzi said, but she bowed slightly as she said it.

The lions picked themselves up and began to head south. The hyenas trudged away north. They departed quietly, too tired and rocked by the day's events to discuss anything further. But as the two parties moved away, Amaryllis placed her paw on Ridikill's shoulder.

"Ridikill, _promise_ me you won't do anything stupid. I won't let them hurt you. Promise me you won't do anything crazy!"

Ridikill looked at her with sad eyes, then nodded, "I promise".

* * *

The lion pride walked home. Simba was at their head, and Nala by his side. Behind them were Kovu and Kiara, and between them they supported the stunned Vitani, who tottered and wavered like a wildebeest calf taking its first steps but vehemently insisted she was okay.

Night was coming in as they neared Pride Rock. Far away they could hear the yowl of jackals, but the usual whooping of hyenas that they had slowly become accustomed to was not heard.

Kovu spoke to Kiara after hours of silence, startling her, "You know, there's something we need to sort out".

"Huh? What?"

"Your Dad. He volunteered to stop down from the throne after the battle, remember? So what happens now? Is he going to abdicate?"

"No, he said only if the hyenas had betrayed us, remember? And they haven't. So…"

"Actually, I _will_ still go into exile, if that's what the pride wants", Simba interrupted.

"You won't go alone", Nala said.

"But Daddy, the hyenas didn't betray us! So you've no need to leave!" Kiara protested.

By now most of the pride was listening. Simba stopped and turned to face them.

"Perhaps. But I still feel it's my fault that Mamacala got as far with his plans as he did. As King I'm supposed to watch out for dangers to the kingdom. And I missed this one.

"So I leave it up to you. I've served to the best of my ability for all my reign, and I've loved every mighty lion and every blade of grass as dearly as I could. But I led you to the brink of disaster. So: shall I continue my rule, or leave and allow a new line to establish itself?"

"You _did_ lead us to the brink of disaster", Tumai replied in his gruff voice, "But…if we'd listened to other, less cautious voices, we'd have plunged over the edge long ago. I will follow you, my King", he bowed low.

One after the other the lions and lionesses bowed before Simba and Nala. Nala looked at her mate and grinned mischievously.

"Sorry, dear. It looks like you'll be stuck with this pack of hellions for quite some time".

* * *

Night had fallen. The hyena clan had settled down to rest. Scouts had already run on ahead to brief the members of the clan who had retreated to the Elephant Graveyard of the day's events, and the sick, the cubs, and the infirm had been joyfully reunited with their loved ones.

But not all was settled. In the dead of the night, one hyena stole away from the rest in secret and darted away north. He didn't get far.

Ridikill stopped suddenly with a growl, "What do _you _want?"

Ed barred his way. He cocked his head and his tongue lolled from between his teeth.

Ridikill glared at him, "Will you get out of my way? Look, if you're here to stop me escaping just so you can execute me in the morning, why not just get on with it here?"

Ed shook his head.

Sighing in exasperation, Ridikill went to walk past Ed. The clumsy hyena immediately skipped in front of him.

"What do you want?!" Ridikill barked, "I'm just trying to get outta here quietly, without causing a ruckus! So what do you want with me?"

Ed's wide-eyed, clueless expression didn't change, but suddenly he spoke, "You can't leave".

Surprised, Ridikill stared, "Why not?"

"You have a duty to remain here and see the consequences of your actions through".

"Maybe. But I was never one for following orders", he spat.

Ed shook his head again, "That's not the issue. You don't owe it to _us_ to stay here. You owe it to yourself, and to Burudi".

Ridikill fell silent at the mention of Burudi.

"So what's the plan, Ridikill? Run north, leave all of this behind? Spend the rest of your life in exile? That'd be a coward's decision. The same kind of decision the despicable creature who made a deal with Mamacala would make".

Ridikill growled furiously and tensed. He bared his teeth and prepared to lunge forward.

"But", Ed went on, his goofy voice remarkably at odds with the words coming out of his mouth, "Not the decision of the creature who found a friend in an enemy, who faced up to his fears and his greatest nemesis, who was ready to sacrifice his life to save the lives of others".

Ridikill's eyes widened, "What are you saying?"

Ed smiled slightly, "You've changed, Ridikill. And you know it. I could see it in you when you told the clan everything that had happened, your reasons for your crimes. The choices you've made…some would have done the same in your situation, others would have resisted. But at the end of the day, you tried to atone for your actions".

Ridikill hunched over and whispered, "It doesn't matter. The penalty for treason is death. I know my fate if I stay here".

"Death won't be your fate. Perhaps you think Shenzi and Banzai hate you and wish to see you destroyed. Well, they did. But they can see your transformation as well. They're willing to live and let live. After all, no matter their magnitude, we all make mistakes. Do you think myself, Shenzi and Banzai do not regret every day our decision to ally ourselves with Scar?"

He shuddered at the mention and memory of Scar and fell silent. The midnight wind whirled and wailed about them, and the grass flowed like water. Eventually Ridikill looked up.

"You make pretty good speeches, Ed. Alright, you've made your point and made it well. I'll wait and take my chances here. Besides", he added, "I hate to imagine what Amaryllis would think of me if I broke my promise to her".

"After everything you two have gone through together I doubt she could hold you in contempt, even if you did leave and never see her again. But you have a life here now, Ridikill. We all do. It's time to start anew".

"I'd feel a lot better about starting anew if we knew for certain that Mamacala was dead", Ridikill answered, "Well, let's get back to the others then".

"Yes, I feel I shouldn't leave Shenzi and Ed alone together for too long at the moment", Ed said, "I sense the tension between them has increased greatly".

"Tension? What tension?" Ridikill asked, but Ed's only reply was to tilt his head to one side and let a line of drool drip from his molars. He giggled and galloped off, having reverted to his usual self in the blink of an eye.

Ridikill shrugged and managed a half-smile, "It'll be a long time before they ever figure _you _out, buddy". He returned to the hyena camp in silence.

* * *

Banzai woke with a start. He looked around. Shenzi was on her feet, glancing about. Ed was nowhere to be seen.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Shenzi looked down at him, "Dunno. I just woke up and noticed Ed's gone. What's he playing at?"

Banzai was about to ask what her problem was with Ed not remaining by her side for twenty four hours a day, when suddenly he realized _why_ she didn't want to be left alone with him. Oh right, _that _thing…

Shenzi looked around anxiously, "Where the hell is he? Garn! I told him not to…"

She broke off. Banzai looked at her. She shot a look at him, then looked away and exhaled deeply.

"Shenz?" Banzai said meekly, "Are…are you alright?"

Shenzi sighed again, but softly this time, and she forced herself to look at him, "Banzai…back there. When we thought the battle with the lions was going to begin…you said something to me".

Banzai tried to look light-hearted and bemused, "Well, I said lots of things I guess. Mostly things like 'Let's get 'em!' and 'Lousy desert cats' and…"

He broke off, realizing he was just jabbering.

"Maybe…" Shenzi swallowed hard, "Maybe I didn't hear you right. I thought you said something…something about how…."

Banzai cringed and wished the ground would just come alive and swallow him up.

"…Something about how you felt about me".

Banzai did his best to look utterly confused, "Did I? Don't remember…I guess I might have said…something. But…you know…"

"Tensions", Shenzi said quickly, "Emotions running high. Pre-battle stress and all, right?"

"Yes! Exactly", Banzai nodded, "That's exactly what it was. Anything I may or may not have said…you can chalk it up to that".

"Right", Shenzi said in a shaky voice that betrayed her, "Right. Okay. Makes sense. That's that sorted".

Awful, stomach-churning silence fell between them. Banzai wished he could just roll over and fall back to sleep and forget about it until morning, but there was another voice speaking to him. A voice telling him that he was being foolish, and it was time to grow-up and stop acting like a stupid delinquent, because this might be the only chance he was going to get for a very long time…

"Shenzi, listen…" he began.

But then Ed crashed noisily through the scrub. Shenzi immediately hurled herself to the floor and feigned sleep. Banzai curled up and did the same. Ed trotted in and looked down at them.

"You'll work it out eventually", he said, knowing full well they could both hear him, "It'll have to happen one day", and with that he lay down between them and went to sleep.

* * *

Dawn rose on the Pride Lands as it had done for countless years over the Pride Lands. It was the time of day when nocturnal animals returned to their lairs to sleep after a night of hunting, and before the diurnal plains-dwellers stirred and awoke.

The fading darkness, penetrated by the brilliant rays of the rising sun, tinted the lands below purple-grey. Underneath a canopy of trees, the waxing sunlight barely reached a small, backwater lagoon. The surface of the water was coated with white-flowered lilies, forming a green and white carpet over the sluggish waters below. The lagoon was fed by the main river of the Pride Lands, but it was remote, poorly-known and a thankless destination that provided no reason for any creature to seek it out.

Unless the creature wanted to hide. The green carpet shifted slightly and something rose to the surface. Three small bony nodules, two equidistant from each other, the other more than a meter away, were all that was visible to any onlooker from the land or the air, but in fact they were the armoured eyes and nose of a crocodile lurking below.

Mamacala might have been nearly invisible in the lagoon, but he could see all around him from his hiding place. There was no sign of another creature. That was good. He needed to lie low and being spotted would mean having to move on again. Every last miserable creature in the Pride Lands, from the lowliest hyrax to mightiest elephant, from the most docile gazelle to the most savage hyena, lacked the resolve to challenge Simba and if he was spotted he was certain he would be reported and hunting parties would come looking for him.

The great crocodile had survived the attempt on his life by Simba and his lackeys without serious injury. Oh, certainly, he now had some interesting new scars decorating his hide, but his kind recovered quickly and totally from the most severe of wounds. It was going to take a lot more than a few miserable lions and hyenas pecking at his hide to end the life of the mighty Mamacala.

But if had remained there he would have been killed, he was forced to admit that to himself. Eventually they would have overpowered him, swarming over him and gnawing open chunks in his armour, like driver ants devouring a spider.

So he had fled downstream, following the frustratingly slow current and ignoring the confused looks of hippos and other crocs on the way as blood flowed from his gashes and cuts. He swam long and at first aimlessly, but he didn't despair. Soon he had collected his thoughts and realized he needed a place in solitude to recuperate, somewhere he could hide from spies. He had remembered this backwater lagoon, connected by a thin stream to the main river but not leading anywhere. The sickly coating of lilies made it unlikely, even in the dry season, that anyone would visit it to drink when the river was close by, and even if they did Mamacala could hide effectively. Providing he was alert. All in all, the lagoon was a perfect place for him to rest, recover and brood.

Mamacala was angry. He had never been so angry for such an extended period of time in his life. Even now, hours after he had escaped the lions and hyenas, he still couldn't silence the rage threatening to overwhelm his logical, detached mind. He felt like bellowing and thrashing from side to side, like smashing the overhanging trees with his tail and biting at their trunks and toppling them into the water. He felt like rending the landscape, like taking out his fury on it.

But his cold mind prevailed; as satisfying as that might be, it would waste energy and possibly attract attention. So he simply floated and fumed silently.

He thought he had been so close to victory. But apparently he had never even been close. The lions and hyenas had _not _attacked each other, despite the evidence he had provided that should have motivated them to do so. Why hadn't they risen to the bait? His plan had been going like clockwork; he and Kachero and the pythons had made quick progress towards Pride Rock, and the lions and hyenas had marched on each other. Ridikill's betrayal and the resistance group had surprised him; in retrospect killing Oocheva was a poor decision. He could have monitored enemy activities more efficiently if the plover bird had still been alive. Ah well, such was the benefit of hindsight.

But why hadn't the main lion pride and hyena clan given battle? While Ridikill and Amaryllis had told him they'd dispatched a scout to warn Simba of the plot, he had calculated that there was no chance of her arriving in time to stop the battle.

So what had stopped it? For what reason could the lions and hyenas refuse to fight each other? Everything had been arranged perfectly, and the bad blood between lion and hyena ran as strongly today as it did a hundred years ago. So what had happened? Mamacala just could not figure it out.

The puzzle frustrated him further, and he nearly lashed his tail in anger. But he restrained himself. There was going to be plenty of time for thought and reflection. He was going to come across a lot of unwelcome thoughts in that time and he couldn't lose his temper every time he encountered one. No, he would not give Ridikill the satisfaction of that. He refused to accept that some of the hyena's bad temper had rubbed off on him, as a nagging voice kept telling him it had. That was impossible. Mamacala molded Ridikill; not the other way around.

Ridikill. That putrid traitor. What he had done to him, Mamacala would repay tenfold…a _thousand_ fold! He was going to make that hyena suffer for betraying him. And betraying him for what? The friendship of a gormless lioness and the normal life of a boring, uninspired pack animal.

Never again would Mamacala undertake an experiment with an animal as unpredictable as Ridikill. From now on he would place his faith only in himself and in those he could utterly brainwash, like the pythons and Oocheva. There were to be no more risks. Everything would run like clockwork until he was where he wanted to be: firmly in the seat of power.

He was not done with the Pride Lands. No, he had plans for this miserable land that had held him captivated for so long. He would rise up once more and…

Something struck Mamacala's snout, halfway between his eyes and his nose. He grunted audibly in surprise, something that he would have been annoyed with himself for doing later on. Unwilling to betray his position further, he did not move but his eyes looked back and forth, wondering what had hit him.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a stone come whistling towards him. Again it struck his snout and bounced harmlessly into the water. At that moment Mamacala heard something he hadn't heard in many years.

A quirky voice chanted, "Asante sana, squash banana! We we nugu, mi mi apana!" and repeated it. Again. And again.

Mamacala's head and neck rose out of the water and looked around, "Come on then, don't delay. I haven't the patience".

As if from nowhere a disheveled baboon landed on a large, flat rock peeking out from the water lilies. Rafiki sat down, stick in hand and faced the crocodile and grinned, goblin-like. He drew his knees up against his chest and rocked back and forth, smiling cheerfully at Mamacala.

"'Don't have the patience', Mamacala?" Rafiki said, "That's most unlike you. As I remember you pride yourself on your patience".

The fearsome, tooth-laden head of Mamacala was mere meters from him, and the crocodile was capable of closing that difference in a second, but he showed no signs of fear or indeed apprehension. He was as carefree and chirpy as he would be addressing a newborn cub. And indeed Mamacala made no move towards him, just stared at him with his green eyes as he lowered his chin to rest on the disturbed surface.

"True", Mamacala sighed, "But recent events have tested even my resolve. And I am not accustomed to having missiles hurled at me like I'm a common viper".

In response another pebble struck him between the eyes. He glared.

"There", Rafiki chuckled, "You should be quite used to it by now".

"Do not taunt me", Mamacala warned, "Although I suppose that is what you've come here for, to mock me in my defeat? For what other reason would you come seeking your old student?"

"For a chat!" Rafiki declared, raising his staff in the air enthusiastically, "It's been a long time since we had a chance to talk, isn't it, young one?"

Mamacala ignored that remark, "A chat, hm? And what is it you wish to discuss?"

"You, of course!" Rafiki pointed the stick in the crocodile's direction, "You, and what you've been doing with your life".

"I'm afraid it's still nothing you would approve of, although I daresay you know perfectly well what I've been up to for the last thirty years of my life".

"Ah, yes", Rafiki nodded, grave all of a sudden, "Yes, this is true. The signs of your movement are easy to recognize. Always there is someone hurt, wherever you go, always, always. Always someone must suffer to satisfy your appetites".

"I'm a predator. It's what we do", Mamacala snorted.

"Do not tease me, young one!" Rafiki smiled gaily, "You know full what I mean. Not your appetite for dinner, no no no. Your appetite for power".

"True. It's the way of the world. The strong and wise must always brush the weak and foolish aside, and to worry over their fate is a wasted thought. You know the saying, 'When the elephant and the lion are fighting, the grass is going to suffer'".

"Indeed yes, I taught you that saying", Rafiki replied, "When you were small, small, so small you could fit into the palm of my hand", he held out one brown, wrinkled old hand, "When you were so very young, and carefree, and eager to learn everything Rafiki had to teach. But you did not learn that lesson well. To focus on the warring lion and elephant is the thought of a foolish tyrant; to focus on the all-important grass, the rich, the beautiful, life-giving grass being crushed beneath the feet of the warring ones is the thought of a wise man".

"Or one who has become so like the grass, having tended to it so blindly for the years, that he feels more kinship with it than he does with the warring ones", snarled Mamacala, "You always encouraged me to seek my own answers in life's riddles. And I found them. I realized the gifts nature had bestowed upon me, my great size and strength, and the gifts you had bestowed upon me, wisdom and knowledge, could work in tandem. For a greater goal than being merely an eccentric, wandering visitor to lands, a fleeting guest bringing gifts and skills to the ignorant.

"No, I could use the gifts to _rule_, not merely teach. I could – and I _shall_ – have kingdoms of my own, kingdoms that I will bless with knowledge and lead with wisdom. The powerful and wise do not deserve to _serve_ but _rule_, and for you to allow, even encourage, those revolting felines to reign supreme is an insult".

Rafiki sighed, "All this and more, I have heard of you many years ago, Mamacala. How many years old were you, when you first spoke to me of your ambitions? Forty, was it? Fifty seasons?"

"Thirty four", Mamacala replied tersely.

"Thirty four, thirty four", Rafiki waved one hand dismissively, "So for thirty four years I raised you, from that time I found your helpless little self clutched in the jaws of that hungry monitor lizard, to the time when you told me you thought your own teacher was misguided and deluded".

The crocodile's eyes narrowed in displeasure. He did not like being reminded that he had ever been little or helpless, or that he had ever needed rescuing. Least of all by the flea-bitten, haggard old monkey hunched over before him.

"Such a shame", Rafiki said quietly, "I had great hopes for you, Mamacala. I hoped you would become wise enough to achieve humility, and to begin on the path of teaching and sharing".

"I did" Mamacala answered, "For my own amusement, more than anything else. A hyena. I taught him only a little of my _own _wisdom, of the right of the strong to look down on the weak, and he learned well. But, at this last, most critical moment…he turned away from me. Turned his back on me and my wisdom…"

"A pain I know all too well", Rafiki said sadly.

"I did not say it pained me!" Mamacala shot back, "I am above emotional pain; or indeed any emotion at all. I have become that which cannot feel for another creature, that that desires only …"

Rafiki looked up and met Mamacala's eyes with a look of such infinite, distant boredom that the crocodile's speech staggered to a halt, "Do not go through the motions here and now, Mamacala. I've heard this far too many times in all our little encounters, and though the years between those encounters lengthen, your speeches do not change. Do you think I've come to find you after all these years only to have you tell me of your superiority and strength and your views _again_?"

Rafiki laughed. It was a bitter, tired laugh and deeply unpleasant to Mamacala's ears. He shuddered.

"You think that you are above feelings?" Rafiki grunted, "You think that is the goal of the wise? Even here and now, looking at what you have become, I still love you, my student. And somewhere, in your cold heart, you still love your old mentor".

Mamacala opened his mouth to object but, unusually for him, he could not think of a counter-argument.

"It was not entirely selfless of me when I took you under my wing, Mamacala", Rafiki extended one hairy toe and inspected it, "I had high hopes for you, yes. I hoped you would follow in my footsteps and enlighten the world around you, as I have done and as my mentor did before me. I wanted you to spread my work. But also", he smiled sadly, "I wanted companionship. The life of a pilgrim is a lonely one, and whether I realized it or not I wanted someone who understood me and my work and kept my company on my darkest and farthest journeys. But it was not to be. Not for long away".

"I was twelve seasons old", Mamacala muttered, not completely sure why he was stopping to reminisce about old times, "When I journeyed with you for the last time".

"That's right, and then you told me you had found a land you wished to remain in and protect, and that pleased me at the time. By the time I realized your true ambitions it was too late to convince you otherwise. A great shame".

"You should never have trusted a crocodile with your teachings".

"Oh, it is not the fault of your blood that you become who you are today. It is your own doing, and perhaps mine, for perhaps I did not teach you well. Why I remember saying to you once, 'It's an animal city, my son, a cannibal world, so be obedient, don't argue, some are ready to bite you…'"

"Have you come here just to tell old tales?" Mamacala demanded to know, "We have gone our separate ways, and ever you attempt to stop me from achieving my goals. Ever you steal victory from me at the last moment. But each time my victory draws nearer".

"'Til this time, when I did not stop you at all, and it was your own underling and his friends who had to come between you and your prize?" Rafiki chuckled, lighthearted again all of a sudden, "How embarrassing; for you and for me".

"So you did come here to stop me?"

"Well in a way, but I realized I would probably be too late, as soon as I discovered your presence in the Pride Lands. If only I had known you were here earlier, if only by chance Simba had mentioned your name to me…" he shook his bearded head sadly, "Something could have been done".

"You knew I was here already?" Mamacala stared, "Then why did you not do as you've done before and warn the peoples of this land to see me off? You left the Pride Lands even though you knew I was here? And you return now? Why?"

"Ah, all in good time", Rafiki tapped the side of his nose with one bony finger and gave a conspiratorial wink, "But I come to you now for one purpose, mainly".

"What is that?"

"To affect a more…permanent resolution, for better or for worse. I ask you this: give it up".

Mamacala started, "Give what up?"

Rafiki pointed at him, "This life you lead. Plotting, betraying, lying, manipulating, murdering and aspiring to be more than what you are. I taught you many things but the one thing I hoped never to have to teach you was the lesson of forgiveness. I forgive you, my son. For all that you have done and are still planning to do. I forgive you".

The crocodile was astonished, "Forgive me? Why would you want to do that?"

"So you can turn your back on the life that you have led thus far and join me again, in spreading our message of knowledge and healing to the peoples of the great kingdoms. There is still a great deal of good you can do, and many hurts that you can heal. What say you?"

Mamacala did not answer at first. The lilies rippled as the rest of his body rose to the surface and they slipped from his armoured sides as he demonstrated his great size and strength.

Then he laughed, loud and harsh, not caring who heard him, and it was Rafiki's turn to shudder, "Old fool! Old fool! You come here talking of forgiveness and friendship! Do I ask for either? The strong do not heed the call of the meek when it prays for mercy. By what right do you come here and insult me with talk of love and regret? Do you honestly believe I feel anything but hatred for you, you revolting old hermit?!"

"Yes, I do…"

"Silence! It is _your _turn to listen to _me_, old fool! Old Rafiki still thinks he has tricks to play, does he? Well they will not work on Mamacala! Mamacala is too clever…yes, too clever! You appoint yourself protector of this ancient knowledge yet you have no concept of its _true power_, as I have come to discover!"

He roared, a horrific noise, and thrashed violently from side to side, flashing his teeth to the rising sun in defiance of the world. Rafiki shut his eyes as a wave of filthy water crashed over him; he was left dripping wet with lilies stuck in his fur.

"You, who would _serve_ all of his long life", Mamacala spat, "Your time has ended! My time is here! Why would I turn my back on all that I have become?"

"So you will attempt to take this land again, and the lands of others, no doubt bloodily?"

"Oh yes", Mamacala grinned, "I have been merciful until now! Now I will drench these lands in blood until I reign supreme! Reptiles ruled once, long before you and I ever existed! You have seen it in the bones, Rafiki! You know this to be true. I will claim my rightful place as Master of Beasts, the Game Lord, The Envy of the Rivers! I am a crocodile; a creature older than Africa itself! I will take what I please!

"And as for you, old fool…what can you possibly do to stop me? Will you trick the lions and hyenas into _swimming_ in pursuit of me? Will you try to convince the hippos, or perhaps my crocodile brethren to hunt me down? They will all refuse, for they know my name and the terror that goes with it! You", he laughed cruelly, "You barely stopped me in the Fresh Delta, and you _shall _not stop me _here_!"

Rafiki bowed low, looking crushed, "Then…I can do nothing more? So be it".

"Yes, indeed. Perhaps…"

"Let me ask you something, Mamacala", Rafiki interrupted, "You told your hyena pupil much, yes? Did you ever tell him how you lost your toes on your left leg?"

Mamacala froze; his eyes widened and his jaws hung open, "What?"

"Because _I_ know, my son. And let me ask you: do you not think that one advantage one such as I might have over one such as you is that I might make more friends? Perhaps _powerful _friends?" he nodded grimly at something behind Mamacala.

Mamacala turned, saying again, "What?"

Facing him was the one thing Mamacala had feared since he came to adulthood. The only creature to best him in combat, having maimed his left forefoot many years ago, giving Mamacala a profoundly alien experience: inferiority.

That same feeling of insecurity and fear came flooding back to Mamacala as he stared into the eyes of Gorlash, a giant male crocodile in the prime of his life. And larger than Mamacala.

Gorlash lunged, twenty five foot and two tones of unstoppable power. Mamacala did not stop to test his strength against Gorlash's again. He slashed the water with his tail in a hurried attempt to turn around, and then bolted away, gouging a trail through the lilies as he fled for his life. Gorlash was after him in a heartbeat.

Rafiki watched sadly as Mamacala fled upstream, heading back towards the river. Gorlash had caught up with him. The baboon sighed as the two crocodiles rounded a bend in the stream and disappeared from view. That was the last anyone in the Pride Lands ever saw of Mamacala.


End file.
